


Snippets from the Waverider

by TerraYoung



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: (for a handful of Snart's snippets), Child Abuse, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, rating is for language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2018-10-03 03:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 41
Words: 46,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10235081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerraYoung/pseuds/TerraYoung
Summary: A collection of drabbles and ficlets of varying sizes, centered around the crew of the Waverider.





	1. List of Recurring Storylines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter numbers go by title of chapter rather than actual number as this takes the place of 1.

  1. Fireworks 
    1. Fireworks, Chapter One
    2. "Oh...it's gonna start in a minute…”, Chapter Four, same scene but alternate pov
  2. Second Kisses 
    1. second kisses…, Chapter Three
    2. first date after coming out, Chapter Five, sequel
    3. “you call that romance.”, Chapter Nine, later in same ’verse
    4. you could have been saved: but you pulled the trigger., Chapter Fifteen, later in the same ’verse
    5. Five reasons why..., Chapter Sixteen, later in the same ’verse
  3. We’re flesh and bone 
    1. we’re flesh and bone…, Chapter Three
    2. Boys you play well into midnight…, Chapter Five, prequel
  4. Earth-36 
    1. Pain lets you know you're not dead yet, Chapter Five
    2. the (girl) geeks get the girls, Chapter Eight, later in the same ’verse
    3. our hearts are joined…, Chapter Seventeen, later in the same ’verse
    4. Promise Ring, Chapter Twenty, later in the same ’verse
    5. Losing a baby…, Chapter Twenty-Three, later in the same ’verse
    6. Dancing, Chapter Thirty-Four, somewhere in season 1
  5. Sometimes I wish I was a little child again.../Stein’s dead 
    1. Sometimes I wish I was a little child again..., Chapter Eleven
    2. "Remember times you would put me on your shoulders…”, Chapter Fifteen, sequel
    3. fade to black, Chapter Sixteen, prequel
    4. they’ll never see the likes of you again., Chapter Eighteen, later in same ’verse
    5. the end, Chapter Thirty-Four, somewhere in the same ’verse
    6. lonely, Chapter Thirty-Eight, somewhere in the same ’verse
  6. Earth-16 
    1. a love for the ages…, Chapter Thirteen
    2. it’s one two three…, Chapter Nineteen, prequel/companion
  7. Personification of Death 
    1. Personification of Death, Chapter Six
    2. working with death…, Chapter Twenty, prequel
  8. Earth-66 
    1. winged wicked things, Chapter Twelve
    2. a morality inversion, Chapter Twenty-One, later in same ’verse
    3. It's a rule of thumb…, Chapter Twenty-Four, early season one of Flash
    4. They were happy to be the hero…, Chapter Twenty-Five, somewhen in Arrow
    5. "...not so much fall as saunter vaguely downwards.", Chapter Thirty-One, pre- and during Flash/Legends, Jax
    6. You've got it all wrong, Chapter Thirty-Six, probably during Arrow, Sara
  9. “How am I supposed to forget you…”/Mick dies at the Oculus 
    1. "How am I supposed to forget you…”, Chapter Eleven
    2. I keep telling myself…, Chapter Twenty-One, prequel
    3. “i carry your heart…”, Chapter Twenty-Three, later in the same ’verse
    4. having to make a terrible sacrifice, Chapter Thirty-Eight, moment it diverges from canon
  10. I’ve been left out alone like a damn criminal/Snart becomes Chronos instead of Mick 
    1. I’ve been left out alone like a damn criminal, Chapter Thirty-One
    2. _you better run, better run/faster than my bullet_ , Chapter Thirty-Six, later in the same ’verse




	2. Chapter One

**any. any villain. reasonable, one sentence only; Savage**

 

All you want is to ensure the world’s safety by being its ruler and finally have the only woman you’ve ever loved by your side – how could that be considered an unreasonable desire?

 

**any TV show. any. broken window, one sentence only; Sara**

 

Of course no bar fight would be complete without _someone_ being thrown out the window, right?

 

 

**any, any, ocean, one sentence only; Rip**

 

One of your favorite memories of your family is from when you all went to the ocean – you and Miranda relaxing on the beach while Jonas ran in and out of the waves, laughing all the while.

 

 

**any, any, stargazing, one sentence only; Kendra**

 

Looking at the stars whenever you’re in the past makes you nostalgic for lives you used to live.

 

 

**any, any, magic tricks, one sentence only; Snart**

 

One minute the money’s there, the next it’s gone without a trace – you’ve gotten to be so good at this gig that there’s a few cops convinced you’re proof magic is real.

 

 

**any, any, paper flower, one sentence only; Stein; Stein/Clarissa**

 

Clarissa taught you how to make paper flowers one long-ago summer’s day – you make one every time you miss her, which means every surface in your room aboard the Waverider is covered in them.

 

 

**any, any, six a.m. sunrise, one sentence only; Jax**

 

Grey’s generally a pretty cool dude, but if he makes you get up at this ungodly hour one more time to “enjoy the astonishing beauty of nature” you’re going to kill him, or maybe just roofie him and see how _he_ likes it.

 

 

**any, any, hopeless and lonely, one sentence only; Mick**

 

The first thing you ask upon waking up is where the hell Len is, the second thing you see is Sara’s face crumpling which gives you your answer, and the third thing you think is _what am I supposed to do now?_

 

 

**any, any, burn it all down, one sentence only; Ray**

You're generally pretty slow to anger and rarely stay angry when you get there - forgiving and forgetting being more in your wheelhouse - but as you're watching Savage's goons cart Kendra away, you realize you'd give just about anything to be able to take Mick's heat gun and turn them all into smoldering piles of ash.


	3. Chapter Two

**any. any. repair, one sentence only; Snart**

 

It's going to take more than one fistfight to get things between you and Mick back to how they used to be.

 

 

**author's choice, any, fireworks; one sentence only, Kendra; Ray/Kendra**

 

The first date you and Ray go on while you're stuck in the 50s is to a local fair - you're on edge at first, but later, your hand curling into Ray's as you lay against the grass and watch lights burst in the sky, you think that maybe things will turn out alright.

 

 

**Any, any, there's a new world coming, one sentence only; Rip**

 

Most of the Time Masters are gone and the Oculus has been destroyed; Mr. Snart's sacrifice has given a gift to you all - the gift of free will.

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, terror, one sentence only; Ray; Ray/Kendra and Anna/Ray**

 

You had nightmares about Anna's death for a few months straight after you watched her die; you'd been worried that seeing her again would bring them back - instead, your brain starts coming up with new and creative ways for you to watch _Kendra_ die.

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, comfort, one sentence only; Mick**

 

It's not much, but having a small lighter is better than no fire at all, so you grunt a thanks to Len before turning your attention to the flame.

 

 

**any, any, bullet with my name on it, one sentence only; Sara**

 

They say that everyone has a bullet with their name on it coming for them - since you were killed by arrows, does that mean the weapon doesn't matter and you're now in the clear?

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, a slow, lazy, cozy morning; turning into a one sentence only; Jax**

 

Secretly, your least favorite part of this whole traveling through time thing is that you can't remember the last time you got to sleep in and take your time getting up.

 

 

**Any, Any, It was something (she/he/they) only had to be taught once.; turning into a one sentence only; Stein**

 

One of the first memories you regain/are given about Lily is the first time you took her to the playground after Clarissa went back to work - you took your eyes off your daughter for a second and she disappeared, though thankfully it didn't take too long to find her again.


	4. Chapter Three

**Author's choice, author's choice, second kisses are better than firsts, fluff; Mick; Snart/Mick**

 

You're not sure your first kiss with Len really counts as such - it's just a too-brief press of his lips against yours after your first successful heist together goes off without a hitch. It's more a release of pent-up energy and excitement than an expression of desire.

Your second, actually intentional, kiss happens a few weeks later. Plenty of time for you to have replayed the last one over and over and over again in your mind. Len's outlining his latest plan, droning on - you stopped paying attention to the words ages ago, content to just watch his lips move as he speaks.

Before you can think twice, you lean forward and kiss him. Before you can panic, he starts kissing you back. Before you know it, you soon become partners in every sense of the word.

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, we're flesh and bone / together and alone / and we're looking for a home (Delerium - Underwater), angst; Sara; past Snart/Mick/Sara segueing into Sara/Mick; implied asexual Snart**

 

5\. Before parting ways in 2016, you and Mick get rip-roaring drunk as part of an unofficial wake for Len. It leads to sex, like most of the other times you all drank together, but it feels lonely with Len gone - even though he was rarely a participant, he was always there. You leave before Mick wakes up, setting aside a cup of water and some aspirin but no note.

 

4\. Mick takes Len's death far worse than you. Makes sense since they had known each other for 30-odd years while you'd barely known him for one, but your lessened grief makes you feel like an outsider to the relationship you'd once been an equal part of. A guilty part of you is grateful - it's hard enough dealing with Laurel's death. You don't think you could handle what Mick's feeling in addition to that.

 

3\. It's hard being around Mick when it's just the two of you - there always seems to be an empty space where Len used to stand, sit, sleep... You start sleeping in your bed on the Waverider alone, something you haven't done in ages, not since you three came together. It's lonely, but lonely is almost better than the constant reminders of Len's death.

 

2.You wake up in the middle of the night after the zombie incident to find Mick asking you to make room for him in the bed. He grunts a thanks when you comply, and you both fall asleep curled together. It's the best night's sleep you've had in ages.

When the bed's empty in the morning you expect that it'll be something the two of you won't acknowledge and things will settle back into your new normal. But then Mick slides a plate of barely burnt bacon your way at breakfast and cracks a slightly crude joke related to how you kept elbowing him in your sleep, just like the old days. And you think maybe things are heading towards okay.

 

1\. After going back to sharing a bed you and Mick silently start figuring out how you work as just the two of you rather than 2/3 of a whole. It's hard work - no Len to try and smooth over disagreements, no Len for you to play cards with or for Mick to work on their guns with, no third person to stabilize the careening orbits of two other messed up people - but the end goal makes it worthwhile. There's no going back to how you were, but maybe you can build something new out of the ashes.

 

 

**Any, Any, Loser's pride, turning into one sentence only; Ray**

 

So you lost the Monopoly game - what matters is that you tried your best.

 

 

**Any, Any, surprisingly good at the violin, turning into one sentence only; Kendra**

 

Most of the rest of the team figures that your skill is because of some past life - actually, you'd taken lessons as a kid in this one and fallen in love with the instrument.

 

 

**Author's choice, any, baffling them with your own particular brand of logic; dialogue between Jax and Snart; somewhat inspired by the end of** [ **Meet Cute** ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8565220) **by** [ **nirejseki** ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/nirejseki/pseuds/nirejseki) **; written before back half of season 2 aired**

 

"So let me get this straight: You were a thief and criminal as a kid."

"Right."

"And then grew up to be a thief and a criminal, while occasionally branching out into killing people."

"You got it."

"Who then transitioned into full-blown supervillainry when you stole the cold gun and Cisco dubbed you "Captain Cold"."

"You got it."

"A supervillain who swore off killing people cos Barry basically dared you to."

"Well, it was more we made a deal and those were his terms, but you're right otherwise."

"Sure. And despite being a supervillain complete with a theme, a name, a lucrative career, and a partner in crime, you joined up with Rip's crusade to save the world and his family by stopping Savage."

"Mick and I did it to steal throughout all of history. Getting access to our expertise was the plus side for you goody two-shoes."

"And maybe you'll believe that someday. Back to the point: You joined a group of people who wanted to save the world, at one point chose them over your criminal partner -"

"Only temporarily. I was always going to go back for Mick – was just going to wait until after Savage was done for."

"Okay, _temporarily_ chose them over your criminal partner, and then sacrificed yourself to save them/the world and stop the Time Masters."

"You mean to keep Mick from doing it himself."

"Either way it's not very villainous. Then you come back to life and, with this second chance, decide to join the _Legion of Doom_ and drag Mick back into a life of crime."

"Wouldn't be the same without him."

"Finally, after all that, you change your mind, come back to the team, stop the Legion, and help correct timeline anomalies."

"Your point?"

"You staying a good guy this time or should we expect you to betray us at some point cos your sense of morality apparently has a revolving door?"

"So turns out I can't make up my mind on who I want to be.  Doesn't everyone have that problem?"

"Not when it comes to being a good guy or a bad guy."

"Fine. I'm not going to turn into a saint, but I'm not going to betray you either. You're all not _that_ bad, and if Mick wants to stay I'll stay."

"Still don't understand you, man, but that's good to know."

 

 

**Any, any, write me a poem; Stein; Stein/Clarissa**

 

At one point, in a fit of frustration, you ask Clarissa what on Earth she _wants_ when she asks you to be more romantic. The only answer that sticks out of her extended tirade is "write me a poem or something", so that's what you do. Or rather, what you attempt to do. Judging by Clarissa collapsing in a fit of laughter, you failed on that front. But she's smiling and she kisses you before thanking you for listening to her, so you succeeded in doing the most important thing - making her happy.

 

 

**any, any, that's the last time we turn Jeopardy into a drinking game; Rip**

 

You're never letting them do this again. It'll be a nightmare to enforce, but it's a rule you know you'll have to set down.

You'd bowed out after the first round due to a distaste of getting drunk, so you're now seeing the destruction wrought by the drinking game for the first time. It'd be impressive if it weren't for the fact that it was your ship they'd nearly destroyed. They hadn't broken anything critical to staying alive, but almost everything else was in pieces.

You pick your way through the wreckage, over broken chunks of furniture and past pieces of metal shorn off the walls, to find calm at the center of the storm. The rest of your team is curled up together in what can best be described as a haphazard cuddle pile. There are people being used as makeshift pillows and others as replacement stuffed animals. Blankets are strewn all over and some _actual_ pillows look like they were thrown to the side, possibly as the result of a pillow fight. Several people are snoring.

Despite the havoc they'd wreaked upon the Waverider and beyond, despite how at least three of them have killed before and the rest being (physically if not morally) capable of it, and despite how all of them (except perhaps Dr. Palmer) would protest the very thought - they make an adorable sight and look more like a family than a rag-tag bunch of misfits. You quietly ask Gideon to take a picture before tip-toeing out of the room. Party like that, they're liable to all have hangovers, and you don't feel like waking them just yet. Having to clean up the Waverider once they've fully recovered will be punishment and lesson enough.


	5. Chapter Four

**Any, any, speed dating; Jax**

This is ridiculous. You don't care if it's the only way to keep an eye on the target of a crash-landed time pirate. You don't care if you're the only one in their age range that could attend this stupid event. This is one of the most annoying things you've ever had to experience - and given Grey's tendency to lecture on the weirdest of topics for hours at a time, that's saying something. Who the hell even thought speed dating was a good idea in the first place, anyway?

 

 

**Any, male/male, first kiss (no underage sex please); Ray; Ray/OC, Ray/Anna, Ray/Kendra, Snart/Ray, and Snart/Mick mentioned/referenced**

 

Anna was supposed to be the last person you ever kissed. But she wasn't the first. That honor belongs to Pete, your lab partner back in freshman chemistry class. He'd been a bit of a rebel, but had a sweet side underneath it all and the nicest smile. (If you're being honest Snart reminds you of him from time to time. But that would also mean admitting you're attracted to Snart, so...)

Pete had asked you out on a date, taken you to dinner, kissed you gently after walking you home, ...and admitted he had a crush on the star quarterback a week later, ditching you like a hot potato. You should've taken that as a forewarning.

Then there hadn't been anyone serious until Anna. You'd had a few first dates in-between with people you thought you'd felt romantic attraction toward, but none of those got to the first kiss stage. Yours with Anna had been a bit awkward but sweet, and with the then-assumed certainty that there'd be countless more to come.

Things with Felicity started out great, then you died, and then it turns out she was in love with Oliver the whole time. Take out the assumed death, add in an engagement, and swap Oliver for Carter, and things with Kendra pretty much went the same way.

And Snart... Well, he has Mick. Sure Snart could be polyamorous, but since you're not sure you don't plan on saying anything. You don't want to be iced just for broaching the subject. And it's better to pine from a distance than deal with cold hard rejection. (Great, this stupid crush is making you think in puns like him now.).

So you'll just have to imagine a first kiss with him.

 

 

**Any, Any, "She managed to melt the toaster with only the cunning use of pop-tarts."; Mick; the "she" is Kendra; one-sided Kendra/Mick ...sorta**

 

You're in love. Or maybe just impressed. Or both. Regardless, you're certainly looking at Kendra in a more positive light now.

The exact series of events is a bit fuzzy, but the gist of it is: Kendra had been trying to toast some pop-tarts, got distracted (and refused to say by what or who), and completely forgot about her snack. The pop-tarts eventually burst into flame, melted the toaster, and spread to create the glorious blaze that's currently consuming the kitchen. It may have been accidental, but you're still impressed - this is a fairly complicated way to start a fire and supposedly it's Kendra's first.

Once Hunter trusts you all enough to let you back out into the world you'll have to steal her a lighter or something. If Kendra is going to keep this up she'll need to start small in order to learn how to do it properly.

 

 

**Any, Any, Tragic Happy Ending; Rip**

 

Savage is dead. Gone. Nothing but dust in the wind. Not even that, really, if you factor in the paradox of killing his younger selves.

But. Miranda and Jonas are dead, too. Killing Savage had done _nothing_ to save them. You're still a widower, you've still lost a child.

It's the epitome of a bittersweet moment.

 

 

**Changed to: any, any, de-aged! any; Snart; some vague post-season 1 AU where Kendra never left and Snart didn't die**

 

This little mission through time seems determined to throw every sci-fi trope in the book at you all. And they're a lot less fun to experience then they are to watch on tv. This week's delight being de-aging.

You and Mick had been benched for this mission - Hunter saying something about not needing anything stolen or set on fire this time around. This means that the two of you were the only ones not exposed to some weird-ass virus that temporarily turns the infected into their younger selves, which you'd only found out about when you'd woken up and found a bunch of children on the Waverider. Gideon told you all about it _after_ the fact but didn't think to tell you before. Damn AI.

Being the youngest, Jax was turned into a toddler and, after you and Mick built a haphazard pen, has been the easiest to take care of. Kendra's next - she's somewhere in the 5-7 range. She gets upset if left alone too long, but otherwise isn't much trouble. Sara's only a little older but manages to get into everything and won't stop asking where her family is. Asking her to play with Kendra keeps her busy and Kendra happy. A win-win.

Ray and Hunter are roughly the same age - older than the other three but still preteen. Ray chatters on endlessly, asking questions about where he is, gushing about how he's on a time ship, boasting about how he's _this_ close to being an actual Boy Scout instead of a Cub Scout... He talks more than his older self, which is a pretty hard thing to accomplish. Hunter's not much better in terms of being an annoyance. He's just old enough to have started living at the Refuge, but young enough that his cutpurse survival instincts are still going strong. Young Hunter kind of reminds you of yourself when you were that age, and _that's_ a disturbing thought.

Finally, Stein's somewhere in his early teens. He's just as insufferably arrogant though he knows half as much and has a harder time reigning it in. You think his wife that he talks so much about had something to do with that. Sticking Ray with Stein gives the former someone to talk to that actually understands his technobabble, but it only annoys Stein so it's not a great solution.

You and Mick are exhausted after only a few hours of looking after them. Thank God this virus runs through a person's system in a day - they should all be back to normal by tomorrow.

 

 

**any, any, "Oh...it's gonna start in a minute. You just gotta wait."; Ray; Ray/Kendra; companion to Fireworks**

 

You've been stuck in 1958 for a while before you ask Kendra out on a date. There's a local fair going on, complete with a fireworks show later in the evening. Sounds like it'll be a good time.

Things are a bit awkward at the start, as this is your first real date since getting together and your first date when in the past. Plus, you're all pretty stressed from the whole stuck-in-the-past thing. So you try to lift Kendra's spirits by winning a few prizes, but you end up not doing so well. She takes a swing at a few and wins you a handful of stuffed animals and a water vase.

After a few hours you lead Kendra over to a grassy hill that seems like it should have a great view of the fireworks show. She keeps asking what's going on, but you keep telling her just to wait a little bit longer. You lay down on the grass, gesturing to Kendra to join you. She complies with a smile.

Eventually the show begins.

 

 

**Any, male/female, healthy competition., turning into a one sentence only; Sara; Rip/Sara**

 

It's not your fault Time Masters were never taught how to hold their alcohol.

 

 

**Author's Choice, Author's Choice, cosplay; Kendra**

 

You haven't gotten to go to a con in ages, what with discovering that you're a reincarnated hawk goddess and all. Maybe you'll try going when you're next in 2016 - you've got a Katara cosplay already put together in your apartment.

 

 

**Any, any, NaNoWriMo, three sentences only; Stein; Stein/Clarissa**

 

One of your students had mentioned it to you one semester as an excuse as to why they hadn't finished their paper in time - you'd told them to put their studies first but found the idea intriguing. You'd then told Clarissa about it, and she suggested that the two of you try it out next year. You've participated every year since, but it might be hard to fit it in this year as saving the world from time aberrations leaves you with very little free time.


	6. Chapter Five

**any, any, unrequited love isn't all that entertaining in real life, three sentences only; Sara; (assumed) one-sided Rip/Sara with a reference to Rip/Miranda; somewhere in season one**

 

Despite what the stories say, pining after someone you have no chance at being with doesn't always have a happy ending - most times you just have to deal with the pain while the other person lives in blissful ignorance. This whole trip is an attempt to bring Rip's wife and son back from the dead, with a side bonus of saving the world. So you'll just have to swallow your feelings and the way your heart leaps when you get close, and just focus on stopping Savage.

 

 

**Any but SPN, any, "Can I add sequins to it?"; Kendra; Ray/Kendra**

 

Ray agrees to your request, though you're pretty sure his eye twitches as he does so. He's a great man, you love him to pieces, but fashion is one of the less serious things you don't see eye to eye on. Ray prefers simple, streamlined, and generally unadorned clothing and while you don't go hog-wild on it, your opinion is that some things can't go wrong with more sparkles, sequins, and other bits and bobs. But while you'll ask before altering something that he's given you, you know that he wouldn't dream of trying to control what you wear - or vice versa. So you'll both occasionally shake your heads at the other's choice or crack a joke, but neither of you would want to change a thing about the other. 

 

 

**Any, male/male, first date after coming out, (Can be original fic, if characters are underage, no sex please); Snart; Snart/Mick; same 'verse as "second kisses..."**

 

There's no real reason to be nervous. This is Mick - you know Mick, he wouldn't have agreed to this date if he didn't want to do it. And your dad's in jail, so there's no way for knowledge about your date to get to him. The only one who knows you and Mick and knows you're dating is Lisa, and she's totally okay with it. Everyone else in that diner will just think you're some random guy taking his equally random boyfriend (is that what Mick is now?) out on a date. And if they're jerks you can just rob them later. 

You can do this. Just get out of the car, go inside, and find Mick. Then eat dinner. Nothing to it. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice,** **_Boys you play well into midnight / "Can I join you?" said the lady in blue. / "I can play too."_ ** **; Mick; Snart/Mick into Snart/Mick/Sara; prequel to "we are flesh and bone..."; feat. ace! Snart**

 

1\. You know the second Len wants something to start between the three of you - he turns to you while Sara's on the dance floor and gives you his patented 'I _like_  this one, Mick' smirk. It's a smirk that so far has done nothing but get you both in trouble. But Sara looks good as she dances and even better as she's fighting. And she's good with a quip and can take care of herself. 

When you're all back on the Waverider and have a moment to breathe you tilt your head towards Sara before nodding. Len smiles, just a bit, as the gears in his head start turning. He's got a plan.

 

2\. Either Sara's cottoned on to Len's plan already or she's got one of her own, 'cause she makes a move right after Russia. You and Len are doing maintenance work on your guns in the cargo bay, Len not-so-subtly glancing over at you periodically as if to reassure himself that you're still there, when Sara swans in with a few bottles of booze. She hands one to you saying that you probably need one after being tortured and all, one to Len while thanking him for convincing her not to kill the professor (when did _that_ happen?), and keeps one for herself.

Not much happens for a while - you're all drinking and Sara's telling stories while you and Len work on your guns. Then Sara just flat-out asks Len if he's been trying to hit on her, if he just flirts with everyone, or what. Apparently she prefers the direct approach. You laugh at Sara's boldness and how it completely and coincidentally happens to ruin Len's plan, earning you a twin set of eye rolls. 

Dealing with them together is going to be  _fun_. 

Len explains everything, with you adding your perspective or explaining something Len's so used to you just knowing that he forgets others don't understand it. At the end, Sara takes a moment to soak it all in before asking if you're all up to a "let's see how we work together" threesome. You shrug your shoulders and accept, while Len takes a moment to bring up how him participating isn't always going to happen before accepting as well. 

(He explained it to you once, back when the two of you'd gotten together - something about him identifying as 'asexual'. Labels have never meant much to you, but you're fine with him using them if it makes him happy). 

 

3\. Sara's the first one to visit you after you and Snart ( _Len_ , a buried piece of you insists) have your "heart to heart". Like always, like before, she gets straight to the point. It's what you liked ( _like_ ) best about her.

So Sara sits down in front of your cell and starts talking. Says that while she and Snart haven't exactly broken up, they haven't been together - in any sense of the word - since you were abandoned in the middle of nowhere. Says that things haven't been the same without you. Says that she missed you and is sure Snart did as well. You scoff at that last bit, to which Sara shakes her head. 

Sara tries backing up her last statement, bringing up things that are probably supposed to tug at your heartstrings and get you to stop hating your partner. You feel a twinge or two but manage to keep your face impassive. The one thing that catches you off-guard is hearing that Snart's kept his injuries and bruises. He'll never admit it but he hates getting injured, feeling hurt - he was his version of overjoyed when he learned the medbay could quickly heal people. The fact that he didn't run straight there after your fight...

Something must show on your face as Sara's starting to smile. You hastily cover it up with a scowl, but she's still smiling when she starts to stand up. Sara heads towards the door, but blows you a kiss before she leaves the room. 

 

4\. Things come to a head after you leave the Wild West. Despite the looming threat of the Pilgrim, Sara manages to get (trick, really) you and Snart to meet up with her in the cargo bay and have Gideon lock the doors so none of you can get out until, in her words, "We've made up or are making out. Or both." You and Snart look at each other and roll your eyes - the closest thing to a decent conversation that you've had in a while.

There's a lot of yelling, a few punches thrown, and more than a couple caustic comments made. But there's something to be said for Sara's machinations as you and Sna- _Len_  are definitely on better terms on the other side of it all. Not where you used to be, but with Sara by your sides maybe you can reach a new normal. For the first time since you became Chronos you're willing to hope. 

 

5\. It's a sign of how well the three of you have gotten to know each other that you know something's horribly wrong just by looking at Sara's face. You're still dazed and pissed off from Len knocking you out - _again_ \- but that doesn't keep you from recognizing the signs that she's got something she doesn't want to tell you. The way Sara’s subtly gnawing on her lip while refusing to look you straight in the eye are dead giveaways. 

Another glance around reveals that the two of you are in the medbay and that it's  _just_  the two of you in here. You'd come so close to dying - there's no way Len wouldn't be here hovering over you if he wasn't badly injured or... or worse. And then you remember the last thing he said. And that with you and Haircut having been knocked out and Sara here, the only person who could've really been the one to sacrifice themselves would've been Len. 

One glance back at Sara confirms it - Len's dead. There's nothing else for her to dread saying that makes sense. Sara soon says it anyways, her eyes filling with tears. You push yourself up off the bed and approach her. The two of you only have time for a brief hug before Gideon calls you to the bridge. If your eyes teared up as well during the hug, Sara didn't notice and Gideon wouldn't say. 

You and Sara will need to talk after this, but first it's time to find something -  _anything_  - to burn to avenge Len's death. It's a better thing to focus on than trying to figure out what the hell you're going to do without him. 

 

 

**Changed to: any, any, Pain lets you know you're not dead yet (USMC); Earth-36 Anna; Ray/Anna**

 

When you finally blink back into consciousness the first thing you can see is a white glow. You think you're dead at first - the last thing you remember is being attacked by those soldiers - but then a ferocious pain emanating from your leg kicks in. Pain shouldn't be something you can feel when you're dead, so you must be alive. 

The white glow eventually sharpens into a harsh fluorescent light fixture. Looking around the room reveals that you've somehow been brought to the hospital. There's a bouquet of pink flowers on a nearby table, which is the only real source of color. 

Weirdly enough, Ray's nowhere to be found. You figure he must be using the bathroom or something before the rest of your memories return. The soldiers may have only broken your leg, but after they'd done so they'd gone after Ray and snapped his neck. A combination of shock and pain had forced unconsciousness upon you soon afterwards. 

Ray's  _dead_. The two of you were supposed to be married in a month, you'd already started discussing having kids, and he's  _dead_. 

What are you supposed to do now?

 

 

**Any, any,** **_Men tracht und Gott lacht._ ** **(Men plan and God laughs - Yiddish proverb); Jax**

 

You plan to head to college with a football-based scholarship? The particle accelerator explodes, resulting in a torn ACL. 

You plan to try to make a new living as a mechanic? Turns out you're the perfect match to keep an old man alive as an on-fire superhero. 

You plan to juggle superhero-ing with your regular day-to-day life? Grey drugs you and forces you to help stop an immortal psychopath by traveling through time. 

Moral of the story - stop making plans. 

 

 

**any but Supernatural, any, someone walked over my grave; Ray; somewhere in season 2**

 

You're in Star City circa 2664, on the hunt for whatever's causing yet another time aberration. The city itself is doing pretty well, though it's completely unrecognizable from the one you know and love.

Case in point: you, Amaya, and Mick are currently walking through what, in your time, is the main cemetery. Somewhere - some _when_? - in the intervening centuries it's become a park. Who knows if its builders knew its true origins? In any case it's certainly putting you on edge. 

You're all cutting through the center of the park, going fast without looking suspicious, when a cold shudder runs down your spine. A look around reveals nothing out of the ordinary. Amaya's still leading the way, completely calm, while Mick's following her just off to your left. He's walking off a slightly raised bit of ground that might've been a grave once upon a time. 

Could it be your... No. Best to stop  _that_  train of thought right there. There are certain things you shouldn't know about the future, and where you'll be buried is one of them. 

 

 

**Any, Any,** **And when I say you sucked my brain out, the English translation is I am in love with you, and it is no fun** **; Rip; Rip/Jonah; implied Rip/Miranda; implied polyamorous Rip**

 

You never told Jonah how you felt about him. Between the kissing and the sleeping together, the mutual _sexual_  attraction was obvious, but far as Jonah knows there wasn't any romance behind it. It's not like there was anything like that to it for him. And even if there was, surely it up and died after you left him and Calvert to burn. 

You've missed him ever since. Missed him like Icarus would miss the sky, like a plant would miss the sun on a cloudy day, like - like you've missed Miranda ever since she was killed by Savage, but with the caveat that his death hasn't yet occurred for you.

(Though you did look it up, once. He dies young by 22nd century standards, but not bad by the 19th's. And it's not peacefully in his sleep, which he would appreciate.)

Missing Jonah happens as easily as breathing, which works perfectly alongside how you miss Miranda and Jonas with every heartbeat. It's far from fun, but you consider it a fair penance for abandoning him and abandoning the town. 

You deserve it. 

 

 

**Any; Any; ...now he lives inside someone he does not recognize/When he catches his reflection on accident (Brothers On A Hotel Bed - Death Cab For A Cutie); Stein; set mid-season 1 of Flash; hints of Stein/Clarissa**

 

You try not to look at your reflection too much these days - whatever happened that night it resulted in your body being changed beyond recognition. It's younger, with darker hair and a smoother face. And it's not that you've gotten younger as the eyes are the wrong color and the face is not quite wide enough. 

All you want to do is find Clarissa, but you're not always in control of yourself and even when you are you can't seem to remember your address. On top of all that, your hands and head will occasionally start on fire and you can't control it. The lack of control is the worst part. You could deal with being in the wrong body if you could just _control_ it. 

It's the worst kind of nightmare and it's one that you just won't wake up from.


	7. Chapter Six

**Any; any;** **_I got a hand,/_ ** **_So I got a fist,/_ ** **_So I got a plan/_ ** **_It's the best that I can do/_ ** **_Now we say it's in God's hands/_ ** **_But God doesn't always have the best goddamn plans, does he?_ **

**\- Wolf Parade, "Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts"; Sara**

 

You're going to get Laurel back. You don't have much of a plan and without Rip and Gideon's consent you don't have a time ship either. But you've saved the day from evil with even less, so you're not giving up yet. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice,** **_But this one is a different kind:/_ ** **_He knows the pinches of an older hunger;/_ ** **_A greater storm than yours in his heart rages._ ** **(Jake Thackray, The Rain on the Mountainside); Ray; currently platonic Snart/Ray**

 

You don't know what happened. One second you were spying on some guy you'd seen Savage talking to earlier, and the next Snart was surging up and storming forward to punch the guy in the face. The guy _had_  been saying some pretty awful things about his kids - to the point where even you were getting mad - but you weren't supposed to alert him to your presence for any reason. And Snart's the last person you'd peg as letting his emotions cloud his judgement, especially regarding someone he didn't even know. 

The guy hadn't fought back but called some goons to help him instead. You'd put on the ATOM suit to backup Snart, helped him fight off the goons, and made your way back to the Waverider together. Snart had disappeared the second the two of you finished filling Rip in on what had happened, though without any explanation of why he'd punched that man. 

Since you can't ask Snart - even if he hadn't vanished, he'd never tell you - you decide to ask Gideon if there's any record of the man's identity. That'd be a start at least.

Checking security footage and cross-referencing the DMV database reveals that his name is... Lewis Snart, father of Leonard and Lisa Snart. Huh. Explains why it was so personal. But how could he say such things about his kids? 

Voicing  _that_  question reveals a great deal of information you're not too comfortable knowing, information you're sure Snart wouldn't be too comfortable with you knowing either. Logically, you'd known people capable of that level of cruelty existed, but that's different from knowing that such a person once terrorized one of your teammates. 

You don't say anything to Snart and he never says anything to you. But if you slide him a cup of hot chocolate the next morning that's filled to the brim with tiny marshmallows, and if he smiles gratefully at you for a few seconds... Well, that's nobody's business but your own. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, _Why don't you come in from the cold / To make an unlikely alliance with me?_  (Rasputina, The Infidel Is Me); Snart and Mick; E-19**

 

"So why do you think we should work together? Our... _skill sets_  aren't exactly compatible."

"Makes sense if you think about it. Opposites attract, for one. For two, cops can't prepare for both ice and flame with full  _and_  equal strength at the same time -"

"Meaning they'd have to divide in an attempt to conquer -"

"Making it easier for us to defeat them if it ever comes down to that."

"I like the way you think, Mr. Rory. Or do you prefer Captain Cold?"

"Rory's fine. Snart or Heat Wave?"

"Snart, if you don't mind. Think this could be the beginning of an... _interesting_  partnership."

 

 

**Any, Any, The first day on the job was a *killer*.; Rip; DW crossover; the Doctor here is probably 11, but it doesn't really matter**

 

Your first mission as a fully-fledged Time Master is a complete and utter  _disaster_. It seemed simple - go to 1963 London, find out why some of the history books were now reporting sightings of a 21st century mobile phone, and stop things from getting worse. 

They get worse. All because of you. 

Finding the mobile is easy. Getting the mobile away from a rogue time traveler calling himself "the Doctor" of all things is the hard part. 

Trying to pickpocket him just results in a literal slapped wrist and a denial of jelly babies. Trying to convince him it's for the greater good results in him saying he needs it to stop an alien invasion. _Right_. And finally just admitting to being a Time Master results in the Doctor laughing in your face. For five straight minutes. 

So you decide to pretend to help him with preventing the supposed alien invasion in a bid to win his trust and then grab the mobile when he's not looking. And that goes as well as can be expected. He calls you by the wrong name at least five times, aliens  _do_  actually invade, making a grab for the mobile distracts the Doctor long enough that the aliens kidnap you both, and though the day is saved, there's a worse time aberration in existence than when you started. 

The Doctor finally gives you the mobile before he leaves, for all the good that does you now. You get severely reprimanded but miraculously aren't fired. Thank God for small victories. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, "Dude, I caught you dancing to 'Single Ladies'" "What? It was catchy, man!"; Nate; platonic/potentially romantic Nate/Ray**

 

It's your third night on the Waverider and though the day was chock full of action and adventure, you're not feeling tired enough to fall asleep. After a couple hours of tossing and turning you decide to give up and head to the library to read for a while. When you're halfway there you hear music coming from someone's - you  _think_  Ray's - room. 

You change your mind and choose to follow the source of the music instead. It's apparently a song you know as your hand starts to absentmindedly tap the beat against your thigh as you walk. By the time you get to the room the song's reached the recognizable chorus - it's Single Ladies. And your earlier guess was right as this  _is_  Ray's room. 

Ray probably wouldn't have been your first pick on this team for a secret Beyoncé fan, but it's either that or he just loves this song of hers in particular because he's dancing around the room singing loudly into his hairbrush. It's actually pretty adorable. And he's not a half bad singer either. You quickly decide to knock to alert Ray to your presence before you watch for long enough that it starts getting creepy.

Ray jumps, drops his hairbrush, and stumbles over to his iPhone to turn the music off. You gently tease him about his choice in sing-along song, then answer his question as to why you're still awake. You ask him the same. And since apparently you both can't sleep for similar reasons, you ask Ray if he wants to join you in the library. 

A few seconds later - after he's shrugged on a sweater and grabbed a blanket - you're both heading over to the library together. 

 

 

**Any, any, "well, not crimes against _humanity_ , necessarily, since you're not human, but..."; Stein; veers off course from the prompt; lack of pronouns for Gideon as I don't think they've been mentioned; set somewhere in season 1**

 

The day has certainly taken a turn for the worst. It'd started out as a fairly relaxing day - one spent in the time vortex for some rest and recuperation before continuing the hunt for Savage. But then Jefferson and Raymond had made a mistake while making improvements to Gideon's core programming, resulting in the AI becoming a little bit...homicidal. 

(Mr. Rory was the first to react to the news. He'd turned to Mr. Snart and told him that he'd punch the other man if a single reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey was made. Mr. Snart just smirked.).

So far Gideon has tried to: Suck the air out of the Waverider, freeze everyone to death, boil everyone to death, and crush everyone to death by increasing the Waverider's gravity. As (thankfully) none of that has worked because of some quick thinking, the AI has transitioned to  _annoying_  everyone to death. From off-key songs to tv show spoilers, Gideon is using every dirty trick in the book. Consequently, this has been the most successful plan yet - if the others are as stressed as they look and as you feel, they're all halfway to having stress aneurysms. 

Captain Hunter is attempting to distract Gideon whilst Raymond and Jefferson work on undoing their mistake. His first try - a command to undergo a temporary shut off - had been met with a calmly stated, "I'm sorry Captain Hunter, I'm afraid I can't do that.", a rare grin from Mr. Snart, and a glare from Mr. Rory. Everything Captain Hunter's tried since hasn't succeeded for long, but has succeeded. 

And, after another half hour of alternating between Gideon metaphorically tap dancing on your last good nerves and blessed reprieves from the AI's annoyances, Jefferson and Raymond finally get Gideon back to normal. Gideon apologizes for everything that's happened, a surprisingly sheepish expression on the AI's face. Captain Hunter quickly accepts the apology, though the others seem less than happy about it, and everyone disperses to their personal quarters. It's been a long day. 

 

 

**Any, Any(/Any), There is no law against breaking the multi-verse, even if there should be.; Jax; post-Invasion!; aroace E-1 Jax; reference to E-5 Wally/Jax/Jesse; goes a touch off the prompt**

 

There's a mishap with the Waverider one day that causes you all to be launched into Earth-5. You're pretty sure it's something Sara did while flying the ship, Sara blames whoever last messed with the engines (which is you, though you'll be quick to blame Ray if pressed), and Rory throws out the theory that you all just hit a weird pocket in the time stream. Sara goes with Rory's idea as it doesn't place blame on anyone and will hopefully lead to less in-fighting. Fingers crossed. 

You'll check out the engines in a bit, just to be safe, but Gideon recommends letting the Waverider cool off for a couple hours before doing anything. Sara says that anyone who wants to kill time by checking out this universe can, as long as they don't mess with their alternate self's life too much. Coming from the woman who'd once drunkenly admitted to being open to sleeping with herself from another Earth... Seems a little "do as I say, not as I do", but what she does is her business. 

_You're_  going to try to stay the hell away from your doppelgänger - the idea is too creepy and involves way too much explaining. Instead, you'll head over to whatever this Earth has for a library and do some research instead. You get to find out what things are like here and should avoid any trouble. 

An hour later you find yourself at a library that looks almost exactly like the ones back home - long as you ignore all the plants everywhere and the lack of decent air conditioning. Sweat dripping down your back, you manage to sweet-talk your way into getting an internet pass despite not having a "knowledge access key". This universe is weird. 

And it gets even weirder. You're in the 21st century, so you don't even bother to look for Rip. Everyone else on the other hand... 

Snart and Rory are still Captain Cold and Heat Wave, are still partners (married, in fact), but the weird part kicks in when you find out that they're super _heroes_ here not super _villains_. Then it turns out this Earth's Sara Lance is a pop singer with a fairly good career - no awards, but famous enough to be a household name. Ray Palmer is Ray  _Loring_ -Palmer and a happily married home ec teacher with two kids. (Joy and Grace). 

There's not much that isn't classified on Amaya, but it seems like she was in this Earth's version of the JSA before joining the FBI. She's the only member to have survived WWII, which lasted a few extra years in this universe. Nate died in a car accident as a kid, something you're not planning on telling him if at all possible. Kendra's a history professor, specializing in Ancient Egyptian studies, and Carter's nowhere to be found. Hard to tell if they reincarnate like their counterparts on your Earth, if Carter died or doesn't exist here or simply has a different name, or if they have to deal with Savage (no record of him exists, but that doesn't mean anything). 

Grey's a  _politician_  of all things, a senator from the Federalist Party - eventhe politics are different here. He's still married to Clarissa, who's a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, but they have twin boys named Artie and Abe instead of Lily. Your dad's still alive on this Earth and never joined the military. He and your mom started up a small town bookstore that's doing pretty well for itself. As a result they had more kids than just you - this Earth's you has younger siblings Jennifer and Jason. And this you made it into college and is working towards a degree in mechanical engineering. According to the gossip section in the campus newspaper you're dating Wally West, Jesse Morgan, or both at the same time. Apparently orientation varies across universes as well. 

You end up looking up a couple other things and people to kill time. When a few hours have passed - and your shirt is soaked with sweat - you decide to head back to the Waverider. Should've been long enough for you to take a look at the engines. 

 

 

**Any, Any,** [ **Personification of Death** ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_\(personification\)) **; Kendra; AU where Kendra's the Grim Reaper**

 

No one sees you coming. They think you're a bystander, a nurse, a fellow passenger - none of your...marks (you need a better word for them that's not 'victims') expect Death to look like you. Thanks to popular media they expect a masculine-sounding skeleton with a black robe and a scythe. Instead, they get a normal looking young woman with brown skin and wavy hair. 

(You'd tried the robe once. You just got mud all over the hem.).

Some, once they figure out what's going on, say they're glad that you look different. Say that it's nice that they get to see what looks like a nice, normal human being before they pass. And others are _disappointed_ by how normal you look.

(And, by the way, you don't  _kill_  anyone - the car/illness/crash/whatever did. You just make sure it takes and that they get where they're meant to go.).

And then there's the ones who aren't mad because of what you look like but what you do. Either because they don't want to die for whatever reason, or because they're one of the few unlucky living who can see you reap their friend/loved one. The latter type are always the hardest to deal with.

A woman who'd begged you to leave her sister alone. A man who'd offered his life in exchange for his fiancé's. Another who'd done nothing but stare as you reaped his father. And another who asked for more time to reconnect with her long-lost mother. You can't do anything for any of them, though many times you wish you could. 

It gets lonely sometimes, but it's a job you're good at and a job that needs doing. Usually that's enough. 

 

 

**Author's choice, author's choice, "lost in time, and lost in space, and meaning."; Amaya; referenced Amaya/Rex**

 

You're starting to lose track of how long it's been since Rex died. It's hard to hang on to days when you're on a ship that travels through time - you jump between centuries in an instant, and being on the ship in the time vortex apparently means time both does and doesn't pass. Ray tried to explain once, and then Mick attempted to translate "the geek speak", but both attempts just left you more confused. 

You start counting days by each time you fall asleep, and hope it's enough.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Author's choice, author's choice, paradise was not lost in a day; Snart; abuse warning**

 

Things with your father didn't turn from idyllic to horrifying overnight. It started slowly - a cruel word here, a slap or two there... But by the time a year had passed, you could barely remember that things had been good before he'd gone to prison. 

 

 

**Any, any, outsider's p.o.v.; one of Ray's students from the 50s**

 

You're not too concerned the first day Professor Palmer doesn't come to class - he and his wife are crazy in love with each other, and he wouldn't be the first teacher (married or otherwise) you've had that's decided to "call in sick" and stay home. Granted, Dr. Palmer doesn't seem the type even with the crazy about his wife thing, but there's a first time for everything. 

The next time you assume Professor Palmer is actually home sick. There  _had_  been a pretty nasty flu going around a while back. Plus, his wife - as he's mentioned  _several_  times - is a librarian. She could've picked something up from a sick kid and passed it on. 

When it's the beginning of the second week without Professor Palmer and the school's finally bucked up and brought in a substitute, you get worried. Asking various school officials gets you nothing but empty words and "we're sure he's alright"s. Asking your fellow students doesn't go much better. Drew, your roommate's sometimes boyfriend, sometimes ex, claims to have seen Professor Palmer and his wife be abducted by an alien spacecraft while on a picnic. But considering he's addicted to more drugs than there are letters in the alphabet, you don't give his story much credit. 

Ten years pass. You've long since given up on finding Professor Palmer and his wife, though you've never stopped wondering what happened to them. A missing persons case you'd once bullied the police chief into undertaking turned up nothing useful. Apparently there were signs of things in the apartment having been packed up, with the most valuable stuff left behind. The officers took that to mean that Professor Palmer and his wife left voluntarily instead of being attacked by a very particular thief/murderer. Your protests had fallen on deaf ears. 

Then you bump into someone - literally - on the way to work. They apologize profusely, way more than they need to, which seems somewhat familiar. By the time they finally finish, you realize you know who they are. It's Professor Palmer. He hasn't aged a day.

You yell at him for a sold five minutes about disappearing, about disappearing when he did, and about how he didn't give an explanation regarding where he went. Professor Palmer apologizes profusely _again_  and says that he can't tell you what happened or where he went or why or anything about his lack of aging. He sounds genuinely upset about that, so you let the matter drop. 

It's getting close to when you need to be at work. You say goodbye to Professor Palmer, though he insists on you calling him Ray, and head off. 

...Only for the building not to be there when you arrive. 

Prof- _Ray_  shows up a few minutes later in a futuristic metal suit of armor, along with an angry-looking guy holding a gigantic ray gun and a blonde woman in a white superhero outfit. Ray takes one look at you and promises to give you an explanation once he and his friends (Mick and Sara) have figured out what's going on. 

It better be a good one. 

 

 

**Any, any, "Who is the monster and who is the man?" (quote from Disney's _Hunchback_ ); Chronos-era Mick **

 

They claim that you're a monster - a thoughtless, careless brute they can point at a target and let wreak destruction. But they're the ones who made you that way. Wouldn't that make them worse than you? What's worse than a monster?

 

 

**Author's choice, author's choice, wedding dress shopping; Kendra; Ray/Kendra; AU where the Waverider wasn't able to pick Ray, Kendra, and Sara up until 3 years (instead of 2) had passed;** [ **http://nafdress.com/list-detail-vintage-60s-wedding-dress.html** ](http://nafdress.com/list-detail-vintage-60s-wedding-dress.html) **\- Kendra's is the 6th one down; if this isn’t how wedding dress shopping actually works, assume it’s a DCTV thing**

 

When you'd pictured this, you hadn't been alone. You'd thought you'd be with your mom and sister, maybe a couple friends. You'd pictured at least someone besides you and a sympathetic-looking bridal shop worker. And dresses that didn't look like the 60s threw up on them. 

But you and Ray are in the 60s and getting married in the 60s, so tacky 60s dresses it is. 

Ray - the sweetheart that he always is -  _had_  offered to come with you, but if there's one superstition from your old life that you're clinging to it's the future-spouse-not-seeing-the-bride-in-her-dress-before-the-wedding one. He'd grinned in response and left you to it. Speaking of Ray, it's getting close to when you need to meet him for dinner so you should either pick out a dress now or wait another day. 

You like the dress you have on - lace that goes across your collarbone and through to sleeves that reach your elbows and a solid white body that ends in a knee-length skirt - so you decide to go with this one. A brief conversation and an exchange of money later, and you're walking out of the store with your dress. You'll drop it off at home, then go meet up with Ray. 

 

 

**any, author's choice, they woke up one day and realized that there'd be no happily ever after; Ray; referenced/past Ray/Anna**

 

It's your first time back in your bed since coming back from the hospital. You hadn't meant to fall asleep there - too many memories and Anna's side still smells like her - but you'd been  _so_  tired and had only meant to sit down for a few minutes. 

The next thing you know it's morning. 

Half-asleep, your eyes not even open yet, you reach out to pull Anna just a little bit closer to you. Your hand finds nothing but cool sheets and reality rushes back in. Anna didn't sleep in your bed last night. She's never going to do so again. She's  _dead_. 

You're never going to get married. You're never going to agree on who's taking whose name or if you're going to hyphenate. You're never going to have kids like you'd talked about a couple times. You're never - You're never going to get that happily ever after you'd dreamed about having with Anna practically since the moment you'd met. 

Anna's gone. Forever. And the future you'd once couldn't wait to see is now dark and empty. 

What do you do now?

 

 

**any but SPN, any, a reunion with a loved one after a long time apart; Sara; Laurel lives! AU**

 

You can't believe it took you so long to figure out how to bring Laurel back. The Lazarus Pit may be out of commission in your time, but you've got a time ship! Taking Laurel's body back to a time when the Pit was still around is a non-time-aberration solution to the problem of her death. She won't be exactly the same when she comes out, but a Laurel who's different is better than a Laurel who's dead. 

You watch as Laurel's body is lowered into the Pit, cross your fingers, and hope. 

 

 

**Author's choice, author's choice, they invented a whole new phobia for you; Stein; not exactly on-prompt, but fairly close**

 

Fixing the time aberration hadn't  _quite_  gone according to plan - Jefferson's desire to help people overriding yours to keep from alarming the locals - but in the end the problem had been fixed, which is what matters. It's not until later that night that you discover the effect you and Jefferson had on the timeline. Thankfully it's nothing too catastrophic - just appearances in local folklore and fireside tales of a man who sets himself on fire and can rain down flames from the sky. 

The rest of the team never lets you or Jefferson forget this, though the incessant teasing dies down after a couple weeks. 

 

 

**Author's choice, Author's choice, You have a blog?; Nate; inspired by a post that said he'd have a study-tip-focused Tumblr; switching to history-focused, but that's the source of the idea; feat. autistic Nate**

 

You nearly fall out of your chair at Jax's question. You'd been so busy answering someone's ask about post-Civil War industrial developments to notice him coming up behind you. (It's weird how 1. the internet works on a time ship and 2. it's 2017-era internet, but you're choosing not to question it.). 

After a brief moment to switch mental gears, you answer Jax's question. You go into a little too much depth as you start info-dumping about the subject, but to Jax's credit he doesn't interrupt you or force you to stop. He  _does_  look a little bored, but you don't blame him. 

When you're done, Jax asks if you'd like to join everyone for movie night. Apparently it's Mick's turn to choose, which likely means explosions, ninjas, or both. You save the ask as a draft and follow Jax to the family room. 

 

 

**Author's choice, any, They always annoy each other, it's amazing neither of them has managed to kill the other.; Amaya; slight Amaya/Mick**

 

Mick is absolutely  _insufferable_  sometimes. He can go from joking around and sharing a drink with you to making a cutting remark because you asked one too many questions about his past in the blink of an eye. Mick will do whatever he pleases one minute and selflessly put his life on the line for a teammate the next. 

He grumbles about the lack of decent food available, but never signs up for cooking duty. Mick’s incredibly clever, though he hardly ever lets it show. He cares about the team and yet continues to poke fun at everyone's flaws. 

Mick will pull you after him into a corner to protect you both and spend the entire time staring at your lips, but shy away from any bit of affection you try to show him. He's repulsive yet intriguing, deplorable but admirable, a criminal and a hero - a walking bundle of contradictions. You can't understand him, which is both the best and the worst part of it all. 

But you're willing to spend the time to try and figure him out. 

 

 

**Author's choice, any/any, drunk karaoke.; Rip; some post-season 2 AU where he's on a first name basis with everyone and Snart's back from the dead; implied Snart/Mick/Sara and Rip/Miranda**

 

You take back every single time you've ever complained about the team so you can focus that combined hatred on this particular moment. This horrible, despicable, moment. The absolute worst moment they've ever forced you to be a part of -  _drunk karaoke_. 

It doesn't sound bad in theory. But between some of your increasingly drunk teammates' voices and all of them telling you to stop complaining, start drinking, and go onstage, the night has gone from bad to worse to downright cataclysmic. What you wouldn't give for them to have done this somewhere and somewhen else. 

Sara nudges you and whispers that if you go and sing at least one song, she'll make sure Leonard and Mick behave and refrain from complaining about everything you ask them to do for the next few missions. You get her to agree to a definite minimum of three missions, idly wondering and then dismissing just  _how_  she's going to get them to do that, and go to pick out a song. It takes a while, but you manage to find a simple 21st century song Miranda loved. 

The things you do for some semblance of peace of mind. 

 

 

**any, any, underwater bondage; Jax**

 

You're getting real tired of this getting tied up thing. First it was the Wild West, then the Civil War, and now 23rd century Italy. You'd think the future'd be more civilized but apparently not. 

You, Amaya, and Ray had been searching an oceanfront warehouse belonging to some mobster with ties to Dahrk when you'd been caught. The three of you had fought back the best you could, but between the sheer number of goons and one of them getting a lucky shot at the ATOM suit, you hadn't stood a chance. And when none of you would answer any of their questions, the leader had ordered a goon to throw you, ropes and all, into the ocean. 

Either Ray and Amaya still haven't talked or the mobster didn't care if they did, because you've been underwater long enough that your vision's starting to turn black around the edges. You feel a surge of protective panic that must be coming from Grey. Your last thought before slipping into unconsciousness is that you hope it doesn't take long to find someone else to merge into Firestorm with him. 

You awake with a gasp. Grey was staring at a screen nearby and turns to face you at the sound. He starts reprimanding you for putting yourself in danger like that and nearly getting killed. But Grey's voice is trembling slightly and he can't seem to look you in the eyes.

He's never been great at showing how much he cares. You manage a smile at the thought. 

Grey's words start to blend together and wash over you as you lay back and relax. 


	9. Chapter Eight

**author's choice, author's choice, the (girl) geeks get the girls.; E-36 Anna; E-36 Anna/Kendra with reference to past E-36 Ray/Anna**

 

You don't see it coming. One second you're telling Kendra that while she probably needs companionship in  _general_ , she's so independent and strong and amazing that she doesn't need any one person by her side, and the next Kendra's stepping forward and pulling you into a kiss. It takes a few moments for your brain to catch up, but soon you're resting your hands on Kendra's waist and kissing her back. 

The knowledge that she's the first person you've kissed since Ray almost causes you to pull back and run away. But then Kendra tilts her head so she can deepen the kiss and you lose yourself in the sensation. You've wanted this for so long now, you don't want to ruin it. Panicking can come later. 

 

 

**Any, any, lotus eater machine; Rip; post-season 2 AU where post-Oculus Snart is back on the team; references to Anna/Ray/Kendra, Sara/Nyssa, and Snart/Mick**

 

When you'd heard of the latest predicament that three of your team had gotten themselves into, this wasn't how you'd expected it to turn out. You'd thought Dr. Palmer would be the hardest to tear away from his perfect dream world, with his late fiancé returned to him, his former fiancé never having left, and how deeply he throws himself into everything that he cares about. But he'd smiled ruefully, saying a part of him had known it was too good to be true, and easily woken up. Then you'd figured Ms. Lance would be the hardest. She'd gotten Laurel back and was living happily with her former beloved. Between that and how much she'd fought for her sister's life, you'd thought she'd be more reluctant to lose all of that. Again, you'd been proven wrong - Sara hadn't been as aware of the situation as Dr. Palmer, but, while upset, didn't put up much of a fight. Surprisingly, Mr. Snart was proving the most difficult. 

You'd known he'd had a rough life that would be like catnip to the drug keeping him unconscious, but Mr. Snart was less prone to act on his emotions than the others and more logical and level-headed just in general. You'd assumed that that meant he'd see through the illusion immediately and be halfway to breaking himself out by the time you got to him. You'd been wrong. 

You've tried every argument you can think of and Mr. Snart has either refuted or outright ignored all of them. He's clinging to this life - where his father died before he'd gotten the chance to turn into the monster he'd become in reality, where he and Mr. Rory were happily married and on the right side of the law, where his sister had gotten to become the Olympic athlete she'd always dreamt of being - with everything he has. The only part about this that  _isn't_  surprising is that it's that last part, his sister being so happy and well-off, that's the main thing keeping Mr. Snart here. He's acknowledged remembering his father's atrocities and some of the various crimes he and Mr. Rory have committed. But Mr. Snart won't even accept the idea of a world where his sister had to go through the same trauma he did, let alone let go of the one where she didn't. 

You're about to give up when something occurs to you. You can use that love for his sister to bring him back. So you tell Mr. Snart a second-hand account from Mr. Rory of how traumatized she'd been upon learning her brother had died. And you ask if he's willing to put her through that pain again just after she'd gotten him back. Mr. Snart looks at the dream version of his sister, happily answering questions given to her by gushing reporters, and shakes his head. 

Next thing you know you're both waking up in the medbay with pounding headaches. Mr. Snart takes one look at you before storming away to some secret corner of the ship. Mr. Rory trails after him eventually, so you assume he'll be okay. 

 

 

**Author's choice, any, addicted to playing solitaire on the computer.; Ray**

 

You're not  _addicted_  to solitaire, per se. You don't play it every chance you get or on missions, and it's not like you've reached the point where you're telling yourself you can stop whenever you want but actually can't. The only thing that makes it come close to an addiction is that it's the first thing you think of doing when you've worked on projects to the point of exhaustion, but you don't want to - you  _can't_  - sleep.

And you've had a lot of those kinds of nights. Nights where either you've woken up from a horrible nightmare and can't get back to sleep, or where you don't go to bed in the first place because you know what's waiting for you there. Your go-to is throwing yourself into a project where you stay until morning and can then busy yourself with other things. But there are times you're too tired to think or your hands are shaking too much to hold a tool. Those times you pull out your laptop and play solitaire instead. 

You've played it enough times that you no longer really need to think about what you're doing. You can get in the zone of moving cards and making stacks and not worry about your nightmares until morning. And sometimes you even manage to forget them - at least until the next time they appear. 

So, you're not addicted. Dependent, sure. In need of a better way of dealing with your nightmares, probably. Starting to get bored by the game, definitely. But not addicted. 

 

 

**Any, Any, 'I said what you wanted to hear'; Snart; somewhere in an AU season 2**

 

They fall for it. They all fall for it hook, line, and sinker. Even Mick, surprisingly enough - you'd figured he'd at least be suspicious given how well you know each other. But no. 

You'd been dropped off in the right time and place by Thawne. It didn't take long before you managed to find the Waverider. You stumbled out into the clearing like you'd recently been injured or hit on the head, and pretended to collapse. When you "came to" in the medbay, Stein poked and prodded you while Gideon ran tests and Mick stood watching. Once they'd confirmed it was really you, the rest of the Legends were called in. 

Then you spin your sob story about how you don't remember much except Mick, Lisa, and bits about the team before a bright flash of blue and nothing but darkness. The Legends look to Mick, who confirms you're not lying - it must really have been a long time if he's gotten this rusty at noticing your tells - before deciding to celebrate with a party.  _Heroes_. 

Part one of the plan is complete. Only a few more parts left before you can let Mick in on the truth, grab him, and get the hell out of here. Maybe you can take control of the ship on your way out and use it to steal from throughout history. It can be your reward for having to play nice with all these goody two-shoes for the next few months, and an apology to Mick for a future version of you leaving him behind. 

 

 

**Any; Any; 'You survived! Do you still have all your limbs? And... other extremities?'; first line prompt; Ray and Mick; lightly implied Ray/Mick**

 

"You survived! Do you still have all your limbs? And...other extremities?"

"'M fine, Haircut. Quit fussing."

"But -"

"And the answer's yes. To both of your questions."

"That's great! But d’you mind if I get Gideon to check you over just to be safe?"

"What part of "I'm fine" didn't you understand?"

" _Please_ , Mick? It was a really big explosion and I'm just worried you might've gotten hurt by the shockwave and not -"

"If I say yes, will you leave me alone?"

"Until the next time you nearly get yourself killed, yeah."

"Then lead the way."

"Thanks, Mick! ...I'm really glad you're okay, btw. Place wouldn't be the same without you."

"Heh. You got that right. And I  _guess_  it would get kinda boring around here without you."

"Aw, thank -"

"Much quieter, too."

"Hey!" 

"Didn't say that would be a good thing."

"...Oh. Thank you, then."

"You're welcome. C'mon, let's get to the medbay. Had enough of this emotional crap."

 

 

**Any; -; 'Don't worry. It'll be over soon... one way or another.'; first line prompt; Kendra and Sara**

 

"Don't worry. It'll be over soon... one way or another."

"Jeez. That's a dramatic way to start your turn."

"We're playing Risk. It's a dramatic game, Sara."

"Still."

 

 

**Any, any, "What the hell was that!?", first line prompt; Jax and Nate; assumed/implied Nate/Ray**

 

"What the hell was that!?"

"Um..."

"You weren't sparring in the cargo bay with Ray again, were you?"

"We weren't  _technically_ sparring, no."

"Then what were you... Oh, God. Did  _not_  need that mental image. You two do whatever you wanna do, but  _not_  in my cargo bay, okay?" 

"I - We - That is  _so_  not what I meant, Jax. Ray and I aren't - we're not -"

"What  _were_  you two doing, then?"

"...Seeing who would beat whom in an arm wrestling contest if Ray wore the ATOM suit and I steeled up."

"Really, man? Fine. Just don't do it again. Don't want  _another_  hole in my ship." 

"But - Don't you want to know who won?"

"Nope! Don't really care!"

 

 

**Any, Any, "Do I have a sign on my head that says you have permission to talk to me?", first line prompt; Stein and Amaya**

 

"Do I have a sign on my head that says you have permission to talk to me?"

"What was that for? I asked if you could pass the syrup, not give away national secrets."

"What? I'm so sorry Ms. Jiwe - I must confess that I am  _not_  a morning person. I can get rather snippy, in fact. Downright hostile, if you were to ask Jefferson. What did you want again?"

"The syrup."

"Here you go."


	10. Chapter Nine

**Any, male/male, "you call that romance.", three sentences only; Snart; Snart/Mick, second kisses 'verse**

 

You're calling  _this_  romance? This is  _nothing_ , this is so much less than what Mick deserves, so why - As if sensing your oncoming panic attack, Mick comes over and gives you a gentle kiss; maybe things will be okay. 

 

 

**Any; Any; Never to return; three sentences only; unnamed Time Master**

 

It goes like this: The Time Council loves to pick up orphans, particularly ones with no immediate family left, but they're not picky - any kid with a reason to feel indebted to them with little desire to want to go home will do. They never think about the people those kids leave behind beyond trying to ensure they're nothing more than a dim memory to their new charges. But those people either think their siblings, cousins, childhood friends are dead or were kidnapped - either way, they think, and think correctly in most cases, that they'll never see them again. 

 

 

**any, any/any, every ending is a new beginning; Ray; referenced past Ray/Anna, Ray/Felicity, and Ray/Kendra; implied Ray/?**

 

You try to look on the positive side whenever you can. Losing Anna led to helping people with the ATOM suit and meeting Felicity. Losing Felicity and having the world think you're dead led to traveling on the Waverider and meeting Kendra. And losing Kendra led to a possible new start with - Never mind. Best not to think about it too much so you don't jinx it. 

 

 

**Any, any villainous character, his/her perfect world.; Mick; Snart/Mick**

 

First, all you'd ever wanted was to watch the world burn. 

Second, you'd wished for the same, but with money and Len by your side.

Third, when you'd been able to dream you'd only dreamed of revenge. 

Now, you'd give up everything just for Len to be alive again. 

 

 

**Any, Any/Any, "It was the last thing [he/she] expected from [him/her] and the thing [he/she] needed most."; Amaya; pre-Amaya/Mick; implied Amaya/Rex**

 

According to your arbitrary way of keeping track of the days, it's been about a month since Rex died. A month with barely any progress made in catching his killer. You're not sure why tonight's the night, but you find yourself sitting on the couch in the living room crying your heart out. 

Your knees are pulled up to your chest and your face buried in your arms that are wrapped around them. So you hear rather than see someone enter the room and exit it again. Next thing you know someone's gently nudging you. Looking up reveals it's Mick, surprisingly enough, holding out a tissue. 

You wipe your eyes before unfolding from your position, taking the Kleenex, and blowing your nose. You toss it in a nearby garbage can as Mick settles next to you on the couch holding two bottles of beer. He opens one, offers it to you, and grunts when you thank him for both it and the tissue. Mick opens his own bottle and takes a drink from it. 

The two of you spend the next hour or so drinking in silence. You lean against him a bit partway through, wishing for some kind of physical contact to help ground you. Other than a quick glance at you as you settle in, Mick doesn't react. 

It's nice. 

You finish your bottle and, somewhat reluctantly, stand up. It's getting late, and you should at least  _try_  to get some sleep. You thank Mick for the beer and the company. He brushes it off with a quick "no problem", but his half-smile gives him away. You offer him a smile of your own in return and head off to bed, dropping the bottle in a recycling bin on your way. 

Turns out there's more to Mick than meets the eye. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, he's not even cold anymore, 5 sentences only; Rip**

 

Hypothermia's beginning to set in. You stopped shivering a couple minutes ago and now you're starting to feel warm and fuzzy around the edges. The team should be coming to get you soon - you'd sent out a message a while back and it'd been received - but it's a matter of if soon is soon enough. Assuming you make it through this they're going to yell at you for putting yourself in danger like this, especially given you've done the same to them for far less extreme circumstances. The last thing you hear before everything goes black is someone calling your name. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, she dies afraid, 5 sentences only; Kendra (technically her past lives)**

 

One: A farmer's daughter who'd only just begun to dream of what it was like to fly.

Two: A single mother whose last thought was of her children. 

Three: A princess who had never caught a glimpse of hardship.

Four: A student with a promising life ahead of her.

Five: An activist, who still had so much left she'd wanted to fix. 

 

 

**Any; Any; Play dead; 5 sentences only; Sara**

 

Laurel's death still doesn't seem real. It feels like some big practical joke, like she's playing dead to get back at you for being gone for so many months. Cruelty's not her style, but if it means none of this is real you'll accept it. You'd accept any new or previously nonexistent part of her as long as it means she's alive. 

But she's not and never will be again. 

 

 

**Any, Any/Any, "Do you think he/she ever really loved me?"; Nate; referenced past Nate/OC, unknown if requited Nate/Ray**

 

You're not sure why you're asking Ray about this. He'd never met James and you haven't thought about your ex in a long time now. But for some reason there's a part of you that  _needs_  to know the answer. Maybe it's because you're tipsy, bordering on drunk. Maybe it's because if Ray thinks Jason did, thinks you're capable of being loved, then maybe there's a chance of  _Ray_  loving you. Who knows.

It takes Ray a while to answer - him being the same level of almost-drunk as you. But when he does, he says that Jason probably did and definitely should've, and that if he didn't that doesn't say anything about you. Just him. 

You could kiss Ray for that, but don't. Odds are one or both of you'd forget by morning, or Ray'd just write it off as you being drunk and not thinking clearly. You smile gratefully instead before taking another sip. 

 

 

**Author's choice; author's choice; IKEA furniture.; Stein**

 

You've solved incredibly difficult physics equations whilst dealing with the flu and running on an hour of sleep. You once worked on lesson plans while also helping Lily with a science project. You've merged with two other human beings – albeit on separate occasions – to become an on-fire superhero and helped save the day numerous times.

You've done all that and more, so why is assembling this cabinet you and Clarissa found at IKEA proving to be nigh impossible? It should be child's play in comparison! Instead, it's incredibly difficult and time-consuming to the point where you're considering giving up or asking for help. 

Maybe Jefferson might have some ideas...

 

 

**Author's choice, any, It took them half an hour to realize that they were trying to read the instructions in French.; Jax; set at some point in season 2 pre-Raiders of the Lost Art**

 

Before Rip disappeared to God-knows-where, he'd made sure you'd known every nook and cranny of the ship and how the parts all worked. But there are times - when it's a part of the ship you rarely deal with or you're too tired to think 100% clearly - that you grab the instruction manual for some help. This time is a combination of both. 

You can't remember when you last slept through the night and -  _of course_  - some obscure but essential part of the ship just  _had_  to break. And in the middle of the night, too! 

So, grumbling and rubbing at your eyes, you head over to the back corner of the ship. You make a pit stop in the library to grab the instruction manual as you go. Once you get to the broken piece, you try flipping to the right page in the manual. For some reason you can't understand it. You can catch a word here and there, but that's about it. 

It takes a half hour of flipping through the manual and scratching your head before you give up and ask Gideon what's going on. Turns out that in your half-asleep daze you'd grabbed the  _French_  translation of the manual instead of the usual English version. You sigh, roll your eyes, and head back to find a version of the manual you can read all the way through. 

So much for getting  _any_  sleep tonight. 


	11. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a double length chapter - as in each character gets two snippets instead of one - due to so many being six word prompts. I felt it would've been too short otherwise.

**Author's choice, any, Duct tape fixes (almost) everything.; Jax; sorta on prompt**

 

Of the ton of things that have changed about the future, duct tape is surprisingly not one of them. It comes in more colors and types - invisible being the most interesting - but its basic function remains the same. If you need two or more things stuck together pretty much permanently duct tape's still the way to go. 

Fingers crossed it's not affected by time drives...

 

 

**Any, Any/Any, Heart-broken with a smile on my face.; Ray; soon to be past Ray/Kendra and future Kendra/Carter; references to Ray/Felicity and Ray/Anna; spot the gratuitous Last Five Years reference**

 

It's okay. Really, it is. 

You'd known going into this that Kendra was still in love with Carter. Of course you'd never expected him to come back after he'd died, but still. Carter's existence has been hanging over your and Kendra's relationship the whole time. Even if it hadn't been actually physically there until now. 

It's okay. Really, it is. 

You're going to lose Kendra - what could  _you_  possibly offer her that her literal  _soulmate_  wouldn't be able to top - but at least you had her for a while. Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, right? 

It's okay. Really, it is. 

And you  _love_  Kendra - til-death-do-we-part love. Something you haven't felt since Anna, though your feelings for Felicity came close. So, even if you won't get that til-death-do-we-part promise, at least you know you're still capable of that kind of love. Better than nothing. 

It's okay. Really, it is. 

Kendra's happiness comes first, it always has. Not that you're not happy - at least for her - but if being with Carter will make her happier than being with you, you're not going to stand in her way. You love her too much to do anything else. 

It's okay. Really, it is. 

And you  _are_  happy for her. Honestly, you are. "See," you'll tell anyone who'll question you, "I'm smiling. I mean it. Congrats." Hopefully they'll believe you and ignore how you can't quite believe what you say. 

Just because you're happy for her doesn't mean you're happy that you'll be on your own yet again. 

Still. It's okay. Really, it is. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, Good can imagine Evil; but Evil cannot imagine Good, 6 words only; Legion of Doom! Snart**

 

Save the universe?  _You?_  Yeah, right. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, the forget-me-nots of the angels, 6 words only; Mick; Snart/Mick**

 

Feeling a chill despite the heat. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, every moment dies a man; every moment one is born; 6 words only; Rip**

 

Lost your family, became a Legend. 

 

 

**Any, any, water balloon fight, 6 words only; Sara**

 

Can't get hit if you're running. 

 

 

**Any, any, super-glue everywhere, 6 words only; Stein**

 

No one will ever suspect  _you_. 

 

 

**Any, any, their mode of transportation breaks down, 6 words only; Nate**

 

And you'd thought timeships couldn't break. 

 

 

**Any, any, the six words he/she's least likely to say., 6 words only; Amaya**

 

"So much for finding Rex's killer."

 

**author's choice, author's choice, history repeats itself because lessons learned are forgotten, 6 words only; Kendra**

 

Multiple lives result in multiple mistakes. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, what the mother sings to the cradle goes all the way down to the coffin, 6 words only; Mick; 1x01 bar fight scene**

 

Fighting to the song Ma loved. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, recollecting with tears, 6 words only; Rip; implied Rip/Miranda**

 

"Play Miranda's message again please, Gideon." 

 

 

**Author's choice, any/any, mistakes., 6 words only; Snart; Snart/Mick; 1x15**

 

Should've told Mick you loved him. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, sleeping on bloodied grass, 6 words only; Nate**

 

Not dead yet, but very close. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, Are we not poor enough already that the gods must take away?, 6 words only; Kendra; either AU for Ray's death or right before she was able to revive him**

 

First you lost Carter, now Ray? 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, Pity, when love's gone, bleeds endlessly to no end--blood from stone, 6 words only; Ray; he and Felicity were never close**

 

The ATOM suit's only flight failed. 

 

**Author's choice, Author's choice, it seems that I've been wrong more than I've been right, 6 words only; Stein**

 

Lily really, truly, is your daughter. 

 

 

**Any; Any; Words that say 'I love you'; 6 words only; Sara; Sara/Nyssa**

 

"I'll take the next shift, Nyssa."

 

**author's choice, author's choice, "Oh alcohol, I still drink to your health.", turned into 6 word story; Jax**

 

Grey's grumbling is worse than hangovers. 

 

 

**Any, Any/Any, In Vino Veritas (In wine there is truth), turned into 6/7 word story; Amaya; hint at Amaya/Mick**

 

Maybe Mi-the team isn't so bad. 


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Author's choice; author's choice; rum in a graveyard.; Mick; when Rip abandons everyone in 2016 in season 1; purposefully ignores the date the show set for the fire because it conflicts with other dates/apparent age of young Mick's actor**

 

You haven't visited your family's graves in ages - over a decade, really. You're not sure why you're visiting them now. Maybe because Len's dead and doesn't  _have_  a grave to visit. Maybe because seeing your younger self reminded you of how much you miss them. Or maybe because now that you're no longer Chronos and have regained the ability to  _feel_ , it's all hitting you at once. Who knows. 

Regardless, you're still here at the graveyard with two bottles of rum in your hands. No way you're doing this sober. 

You walk - stumble, really, since you drank and abandoned a bottle on the way over - over to their graves, your feet having long since memorized the path. The gravestones read:

_Jacob Joseph Rory 1942-1987_

_Barbara Jacqueline Rory 1944-1987_

_Amelia Genevieve Rory 1973-1987_

_Amanda Gertrude Rory 1973-1987_

_Evan Samuel Rory 1977-1987_

_Hannah Katherine Rory 1981-1987_

All dead because of you. From Ma who couldn't cook anything but cookies without burning them to Pa who hadn't been as bad as Lewis but would also never win a Father of the Year award. From Mia and Mandy who'd perfected switching identities in their toddler years and never looked back to Evan, who was just going from an obsessed-with-cars phase to an obsessed-with-dinosaurs one. And finally to Hannah, whose last birthday candles you'd kept re-lighting on the basis that she deserved more wishes than she knew what to do with, but also doing it so that those beautiful flames could stick around just a bit longer. All gone because you'd lost track of a lighter and ran before  _you_  got burned. 

...The lesson you'd tried to teach your younger self about running away not being his fault hasn't quite sunk in for your current self yet. 

You stay there, thinking about what-ifs and could've-beens, until the bottles of rum run out. Then you give the gravestones once last glance before leaving the cemetery. You catch a cab to the nearest hotel and never look back. 

 

 

**Author's choice; author's choice; "Well, I say we get drunk, because I'm all out of ideas."; Sara**

 

The Waverider's engine is shot. All of your potential engineers are stuck in the medbay - Jax with a concussion, Ray with a broken arm, and Mick's got a fractured foot. So if you currently have no one to fix the engine and can't go anywhere without said engine, you've got to do  _something_  to pass the time until at least one of your engineers has fully healed. 

You're voting for getting drunk. 

 

 

**Any, any/any, "How am I supposed to forget you if you won't leave me alone."; Snart; Snart/Mick; AU where Snart survived the Occulus and Mick didn't**

 

"Forget about me" the probable hallucination of Mick said the first time he showed up. But either he's ignoring his own piece of shitty wisdom or how forgetting someone works because he hasn't left you alone since then. 

(Not that you would've forgotten him even if he had - you'd known him for nearly 30 years, been partners with him for most of it, and been married to him for most of  _that_. It's just not in your DNA to forget him.).

Sometimes Mick makes a complete appearance - body, voice, and all - but usually you just hear the  _click hiss_ of a lighter turning on. And  _that_  starts to happen with a consistent theme. 

Start reaching out for another bottle of whiskey when you're already fairly drunk?  _Click hiss._

Take just a little too long getting out of the line of fire?  _Click hiss._

Pull all-nighters planning hypothetical heists instead of trying to sleep in an empty bed?  _Click hiss._

Snap at Raymond - or any of the team, really - for being concerned about your behavior?You got it. _Click hiss._

It's both comforting and disconcerting having the sound - or the hallucination of the sound - of Mick's lighter acting like your own personal Jiminy Cricket. Comforting because if he's real it means Mick's looking out for you and if he isn't it's a constant reminder that your subconscious associates Mick with being safe. But it's also disconcerting since it'seither Mick spying on you all the time instead of moving on to...wherever people like you go after death, or your subconscious resorting to  _hallucinations_  to keep you safe. You haven't always been the best at self-preservation but it's never gotten to  _this_  point before. 

But then Mick's never died before.

Anyway, the point is: despite what Mick or your hallucination of him said, you're never forgetting about him. Especially if he keeps hanging around like this. 

 

 

**Any; Any; Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead; Stein; time period is sometime post merging with Jax for the first time, probably during season 1 of Legends**

 

You've never told Caitlin, but there's still a few bits of Ronald rattling around in your brain. There's your comparatively newfound love of pizza for one, something Jefferson still finds confusing and that you haven't yet bothered to explain. 

You also have some of his love for Caitlin. None of the romantic parts, thank goodness. But there's enough fondness left over that she feels like family, almost like one of your nieces, rather than the admittedly close friend she's become. 

You can remember with startling clarity going swimming late at night with a "friend" of Ronald's from summer camp. And kissing him later that night before sneaking back into their cabins. It's a bit of an awkward thing to remember when the memory's not yours, but still fairly sweet. 

There's another memory from further back - promising Ronald's parents to be back before midnight and to be at a friend's studying rather than the cool kid's party. It was 4 AM before the party even ended, let alone sneaking back into the house. His parents had never known. 

And you have a few, smaller, things too - old passwords and phone numbers, sun glinting off a childhood snowman, the name of his first imaginary friend, and so on. Things that Ronald likely never told anyone else. And now things that only you remember. 

 

 

**Author's choice; author's choice; "Confession is always weakness. The grave soul keeps its own secrets, and takes its own punishment in silence." (Dorothy Dix); Rip; referenced Rip/Miranda and Rip/Jonah; pre-series**

 

Sharing secrets isn't a great idea for a Time Master, especially one like you. If the Council were to find out about your and Miranda's marriage, or your soon-to-be child... Well, simply put, the  _lightest_ punishment you can get is being grounded and stripped of your Time Master duties and title. 

Only a few people know and you only  _told_  one of them - and that was because you couldn't start anything with Jonah without him knowing about Miranda. The other two just figured it out. 

You've got other secrets as well. You hid Calvert's fate from Jonah. You haven't told Miranda much of what you remember of your life prior to being picked up by the Time Masters. You also haven't told her that you're  _terrified_  of being a father. Excited definitely, but still terrified. 

Keeping secrets is a practice instilled in you from the beginning of your training as a Time Master - the less you reveal about yourself, the less likely you'll create a time aberration. And it's one that's stubbornly refused to go away. So far keeping secrets has kept you and your loved ones safe. Time will tell if it'll continue to do so. 

 

 

**Any, any, "My baby's got a secret"; Jessica Jackson (Jax's mom); goes slightly off/past prompt**

 

You know your son. So when Jax comes home from an otherwise ordinary day of work followed by a surprising (since the Particle Accelerator explosion) - but not unusual - offer to hang out with a friend all battered and bruised but grinning, you know something's up. When he asks if you're free for lunch tomorrow to meet a new friend of his so said friend can explain something to you, you know he's hiding something. 

Jax having become half of a nuclear-powered superhero is not what you were expecting, however. 

The new friend ("Professor Martin Stein, but Martin is fine.") is also not what you were expecting - an older white man with an ego bigger than your flower shop. He starts explaining this "Firestorm" thing with words only someone with a fancy scientific background like his would understand. Jax glares at Martin, who then starts all over again and in English this time. 

The merging into one being part is a bit tough to grasp, but the point is that Martin needs Jax to survive more than a week and in exchange Jax gets to help save people like in the comic books he and his dad loved. 

Their partnership also needs fine-tuning in order for the merging thing to work successfully. The best way to do that, apparently, is to train with a friend of Martin's all the way out in Pittsburgh. 

It's a long ways away - and a lot to take in - but you're not going to stop Jax from going or taking part in all this. Helping people and being part of a team is something he's always liked doing and has always been good at. So when Jax asks if you mind if he goes off and does all this, you shake your head. 

You worry constantly about him in the time following that conversation. But you know that Jax can take care of himself, and Martin assured you that he'd do his best to look after Jax on their journeys. 

Your baby's becoming a hero and you couldn't be prouder despite the worry. 

 

 

**Any, any, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride, but that doesn't mean I want a horse!"; Ray; kinda off-prompt; fairly cracky**

 

This has been a weird day. Can't count the number of times you've thought  _that_  on your fingers anymore. Probably not even on your toes if you added those in as well. 

Back to the point. 

You and the rest of the team had landed in 2021 Japan in search of the latest time aberration. Something about some way too advanced technology that was additionally wreaking havoc by being on the fritz. It was supposed to grant minor wishes - for a snack, a trinket, and so on - by 3D printing them even though 3D printing of the time wasn't nearly good enough to make edible food. 

Then the being on the fritz part kicked in. If someone wished for something the printer couldn't make it printed a horse instead of displaying an error message. Several horses. Miniature ones, but still. 

You were placed on stopping-the-printer duty with Mick and Jax while everyone else went to figure out who had introduced it to this time and tried to stop them. It took quite a bit of fiddling, Jax kicking the printer, and Mick frying the circuitry to finally get the printer to stop working. And by that point fifty horses had shown up thanks to all of your constant muttering about wishing that this process would go quicker. 

Rip refused to let you and Jax bring the mini horses onboard the Waverider, instead having them brought over to a local division of ARGUS. You'd been a bit disappointed, though not too much as your allergies were starting to kick in. In fact, you're still kind of sniffling. 

So, it's been a weird day but still an entertaining and exciting one. And no one had been hurt beyond shallow cuts and light bruises, which is a plus. Weirdness aside, hopefully more days will turn out like this one. 

 

 

**any, any, Sometimes I wish I was a little child again... hurting knees are easier to heal as a broken heart.; Jax; assuming the as is meant to be than; major character death warning**

 

Being a superhero was easier when you were a kid. You weren't in any real danger and the worst thing the villains could do was knock over Lego buildings. And Mom was there to kiss scraped knees, place bandaids on them, and promise that things were gonna be okay. 

No kisses or bandaids can fix this. There's no way things are going to be okay - not after what's happened. 

This...this is horrible. He didn't have to do that, he could've let you - 

Yeah, right. Much as you wish things had gone differently there's no way they could have short of the situation never having happened in the first place. There's no way he would've let you volunteer, which means it would've always been him that made the sacrifice play. 

Not like he hasn't -  _hadn't_  - done that before. Putting your life above his has -  _had_ , damn this is going to be hard to remember - been Grey's go-to gut instinct for most of your partnership. From Russia until today. 

...What are you going to tell Clarissa and Lily?  _How_  are you going to tell Clarissa and Lily? However it goes it's going to be one of the hardest conversations in your life. 

Another is going be you talking to yourself as you try to figure out where - and how - you go on from here. You've spent so long sharing your mind with someone else that being alone feels way too empty. First step is getting back to the Waverider. Trying to figure everything else out can wait until then. 

 

 

**Any, any, it was the best vacation at the beach they'd ever been on - until the bees; Nate**

 

Bees. Why did it have to be  _bees_? Any other kind of bug - that couldn't kill anyone - would have been acceptable. But no. It just  _had_  to be frigging bees. 

It had been one of the team's rare days off - Sara having declared a one day vacation after the stress of dealing with the Civil War zombies. There had been a near-unanimous vote for the beach and off you'd all went. 

Everyone but you and Stein had made a beeline for the water. Amaya summoned a dolphin's spirit and went for a swim into the depths. Jax and Sara got about waist deep before starting to splash each other. Ray had  _tried_  to splash Mick but started backing away after Mick threatened to throw him to the sharks. He didn't get away quick enough, though Mick only threw him into the deepest part of the swim area. 

Stein decided to collect sea shells along the edge of the water to give to Clarissa. And you snagged an umbrella, laid down a towel, and started re-reading the Hobbit for about the fifth or sixth time. 

You'd put down your book, almost half asleep, when you heard a buzzing on your ear. Figuring out what was causing the sound took you a few seconds. When you connected the buzzing to bees, you'd scrambled to your feet and ran away while the others laughed. 

The bees followed. You ran all over the beach and they wouldn't leave you alone. Finally, following a suggestion of Ray's, you dove into the water. 

It's been half an hour since then and you refuse to leave the ocean. There's been no sighting of the bees since, but that doesn't mean they can't come back at any moment. It also doesn't matter that you can't get stung thanks to your newfound steel powers - they're still really creepy. 

Maybe you'll leave the ocean once everyone else decides to head back to the Waverider. There'll be enough possible targets that maybe the bees will leave you alone. Maybe.

 

 

**Author's choice; author's choice; _Before I fade into a dream, I will leave these kisses 3._ ; Amaya; Amaya/Mick**

 

The first time you kiss Mick after Chicago he isn't awake for it. He'd recently gone and gotten himself injured during a mission. It wasn't life-threatening, but it was serious enough that he'd needed surgery and had been sedated. You visit him just the once, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead before you go. 

The second time you kiss Mick your places have switched, though you're awake when Mick comes to visit. He hovers by your bedside for a while before reaching out a hand. It seems like Mick's not sure what he wants to do with it, so you decide for him. You take your hand in his and then press a kiss to it. The two of you stare at each other for a while. Mick takes back his hand, gruffly wishes you a speedy recovery, and all but flees the room. 

The third time you kiss Mick is also the last. You're being dropped off back in 1942 and it's unlikely you'll ever see the team again. So you decide to take a risk. You wait until it's just you and Mick saying your goodbyes before pressing your lips to his. It's brief, barely giving Mick enough time to respond. Any longer and you'd be even more tempted to stay on the Waverider than you are now. You say goodbye one last time, then turn around and walk away. You don't look back. 

 

 

**Any, any, this year, the mistletoe has been doused with sex pollen; Kendra; referenced nearly everyone/everyone; AU set somewhere in season 1**

 

Apparently the future sells X-rated mistletoe. 

It acts sort of like the sex pollen in all those types of sci-fi stories you won't admit to having read. The twist being that it doesn't necessarily force anyone to do anything - just ramps up latent attraction until it's almost impossible to ignore. 

Well, the whole story is much longer and more complicated but that's basically the gist of Rip's explanation. 

The experience has left you embarrassed to meet the teams' eyes and with some uncomfortable truths. You're engaged to Ray, and you knew you liked Sara on some level. You'd even been working up the courage to talk to Ray about those feelings for the past week. ...It's all the other stuff that happened that you're having trouble reconciling. 

Like the fact you apparently have a thing for two infamous (former?) supervillains. Or that in addition to having a thing for each other, Sara (who also has a requited thing for Rip), and Ray they also have a thing for you right back. Or that you like Jax more than you thought you did, though it's not reciprocated in the same way. (Thankfully there's no consequences of not acting on the mistletoe-heightened attraction.)

You and Ray agree to talk about what happened after showers and getting something to eat. It's going to be a  _long_  conversation. 


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Any, Any, Joker vs Thief; Snart; pre-Legends, possibly pre-Flash**

 

You don't care  _how_  much money you could get out of it - you're never doing another job in Gotham for as long as you live. 

 

 

**Author's choice; author's choice; winged wicked things.; E-66 Kendra; basically the Earth where everyone on the team's morality has done a 180**

 

Horus brought you back to life, like you'd begged of him. But he brought you back  _angry_. 

Angry at Hath-Set for killing you and Khufu. Angry at the Pharaoh for not paying proper heed to your and your fellow priestesses' warnings. Angry at Khufu for seducing you and inadvertently leading the two of you to your deaths. Angry at Horus himself, even, for sending the sky rocks in the first place and then tying yours and Khufu's lives to Hath-Set's. 

And the anger doesn't fade, no matter how many lives you live. 

Trying to take it out on Hath-Set - or Savage as he's eventually known - never works. His fighting skills coupled with never having to regain old memories always trump your hawk powers. You waste your first couple lives attempting to do so anyway. 

There's no use going after Horus. Either he's an untouchable god or he doesn't exist. The Pharaoh is dead by the first time you regain your memories. And you'll always be stuck with Khufu, so if you go after him he'll just return the favor in your next life. You'd spent a few lives playing out  _that_  stupid cycle. 

So you take your anger out on the mortals instead. Not quite as satisfying as you imagine finally killing Savage to be, but much easier and still enjoyable in its own way. None of them see it coming and most of them at least  _try_  to put up a fight. And you and Khufu even get rewarded for your efforts - being treated as messengers for their vengeful gods or even as the gods themselves. At least until technology and disbelief comes crawling in. 

The tradeoff is that metahumans and other powered individuals start appearing in the mid-20th century - enough of a threat to finally be a decent challenge without being a sure loss like Savage. They don't become public sensations until the particle accelerator explodes, though. You can't take full advantage of that initially as you haven't yet awakened, but part of you takes note. 

In this newest life, as Kendra Saunders, you don't awaken until Savage attacks, which is a rare occurrence. The Flash and his friends help you and Khufu - or Carter Hall now - defeat Savage...or so you think at the time. You decide to let them live as thanks. 

Then you and Carter head off to regain control of your memories and abilities. He's a bit reluctant to get back into the habit of attacking mortals, but he often is at first. By the time you and he are almost back to full strength you get knocked out by an Englishman in a trench coat. 

Turns out he's a time traveler bent on revenge against Savage. It's a crazy plan from a crazier man, but it just might turn out in your favor.

 

 

**Any, any, "Prepare to be destroyed." "No, YOU prepare to be destroyed!"; Damien Dahrk and Nate; crack**

 

"Prepare to be destroyed."

"No, YOU prepare to be destroyed!"

"How? You're outnumbered, outgunned, and out of luck. What could you  _possibly_  have or do to defeat us?"

"Faith, trust, and our equivalent of pixie dust?"

"..."

"C'mon, you've  _never_  seen Peter Pan? It's a classic!"

"We don't have time for this - get them!"

 

 

**Any, any, "Don't worry, I know how to fix this." "That's what you said last time. And the time before that."; Ray and Jax**

 

"Don't worry, I know how to fix this."

"That's what you said the last time. And the time before that."

"And I  _did_  fix it, remember?" 

" _After_  nearly blowin' everyone up. Look, just let me finish it up, okay?"

"But then how am I going to learn how to do it myself? I mean, we should have more than one person who knows how to fix the ship. No offense, but you're not always going to be available."

"How 'bout a compromise? I'll do it this time so we don't nearly get blown up, but tell you how I'm keeping it from blowing up. You learn and we don't die - we both win."

"Okay, fine. After you."

 

 

**Any; Any; Somehow his/her Santa hat caught on fire; Mick; implied Ray/Mick**

 

For once, the fire isn't your fault. One second you'd been escaping from where Ray'd trapped you under the mistletoe - the kiss itself not being a problem, just the fact you'd had an audience - and the next you were halfway across the room smelling like smoke. You'd figured it was just the overcooked chicken until Sara snatched the hat off your head and ran to stuff it under running water. 

Most everyone turns to you expectant and annoyed, but you tell them that you have no idea how it happened. Ray and Amaya vouch for you saying that between the kiss and the running away from the mistletoe, you didn't have any time to light the fire. Jax then points out how close the mistletoe is to extra-powerful lights Ray designed. Extra-powerful lights that give out a lot of heat plus you standing right next to them equals the hat starting on fire. 

With the matter settled, you turn your attention to the food. Maybe if you keep your mouth full it'll discourage Ray from talking to you about the kiss and related "feelings" for the foreseeable future. Here's hoping. 

 

 

**Any, Any, It was the sort of ridiculous thing you usually only saw in romance movies but it really did start snowing as they shared their first kiss.; Rip; Rip/Sara; set post Season 2**

 

It happens while you're waiting for the rest of the team to return from a mission to 15th century Russia. You're not sure what the catalyst is - the look on Sara's face as she gazes out the window, the sudden realization that Miranda and Jonas's deaths don't hurt as much as they used to, the thought that she's grown so much and come so far from when you'd first met, or something else entirely - but it doesn't really matter. What matters is that you finally have the courage to kiss her. 

Once you've pulled back far enough to see beyond Sara's face, you glance outside. It's started snowing.

 

 

**Any, Any, "... Well, the only two choices we haven't ruled out are get in a fight or get drunk." "Huh, why not do both and make an evening of it?"; Stein and Sara; somewhere in season 1**

 

"...Well, the only two choices we haven't ruled out are get in a fight or get drunk."

"Huh, why not do both and make an evening of it?"

"I was being  _sarcastic_ , Ms. Lance."

"I know, Marty, but it's still a good suggestion. Gives the rest of us something to do while Jax fixes up the time drive."

"Don't call me -"

"C'mon, there's a seedy bar down on 8th that has terrible beer and even worse company - perfect for getting into a fight."

"But that's -"

"You don't have to come with if you don't want to, y'know. But anyone itching to get in a fight should follow me."

"I'll come with.  _Someone_  needs to provide adult supervision."

 

 

**Author's choice; author's choice; "The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help."; Amaya; set in early season 2; blink and you'll miss it Leverage crossover**

 

This is the  _last_  thing you need right now. You and the others have been having a hard enough time trying to fix the time aberration - a rogue time traveler trying to live a normal life but refusing to hide their 23rd century technology -  _before_  the government stepped in. And now that they have everything's likely to become three times as difficult. 

Sara sends you and Ray to deal with the FBI agents - Ray to come up with a halfway convincing scientific explanation, and you to talk them out of attacking you or to attack them if need be. Thankfully none of that ends up being necessary. The agents - Taggart and McSweeten - are friendly and trusting almost past the point of believability. The second Ray says you and the rest of the team need to talk to the rogue time traveler they offer to help bring them in, though you say that you all have it handled. You don't, not yet, but the less people that know about the time traveler's true identity the better. 

The agents  _do_  eventually ask if you're fellow FBI agents, but don't immediately check for badges when you and Ray lie and say yes. Gideon can fabricate badges for you later if need be. 

When you and Ray say you need to go meet up with your team, Agents Taggart and McSweeten wish you luck and say to let them know if you need their help. They even wave goodbye. Weird, but sort of sweet.

Better than getting arrested, at least. 


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Any, any, "Do it again, and do it _right_  this time!"; Snart; abuse tw**

 

You're nine and picking a lock for the first time. You make a mistake somewhere along the way, resulting in the lock refusing to open. And in a slap to the face. Dad growls, "Do it again, and do it  _right_ this time!" You blink away the half-formed tears, ignore the echoing sting, and start again from the beginning. 

You're eleven and this is far from the first heist Dad's dragged you along on. It  _is_  the first one since Lisa was born, though. So it's your fault you're distracted, really, since you're worrying about how she's doing. And so it's your fault that you mess up what should've been an easy task. Dad snaps, "Do it again, and do it  _right_  this time!" as you do it over. He waits to hit you until you get home - he didn't want the timing of the heist to be thrown off any more by doing it earlier. 

You're fourteen and your failure to open a safe on the first try has landed you in juvie. The sound of Dad hissing, "Do it again, and do it  _right_  this time!" is still echoing in your ears, as is the sound of sirens getting closer and closer. Dad had bailed once the sirens got close, leaving you to take the blame.

You're so caught up in your thoughts that you don't notice the group of teens storming over to you, or the one in the corner looking away from his lighter to watch them. In the end, you get another chance to actually make a friend and this time you do it right, gaining a lifelong partner. 

 

 

**Any, author's choice, a love for the ages - if only they hadn't missed their chance meeting; Mick; given the prompt - implied Snart/Mick; implied/referenced major character death; E-16**

 

You get injured pretty badly a couple weeks into your stay at juvie. Nothing life-threatening, but it's bad enough to keep you under observation for a few days. When you get out you learn that you missed a big fight - couple of the tough guys picking on some scrawny newbie. Newbie got killed and the tough guys got punished. 

You feel a slight pang that you quickly bury. It's not like there's anything you could've done for the kid. You didn't even know him, so why should you care?

Still, a vague sense of unease follows you until you're able to pull out a lighter you'd stolen from a guard. Then everything but the flame fades away. 

 

 

**Author's choice; author's choice; " _Great._ Thanks to  _you_ , the dominant species on the planet is now descended from  _lizards_ , not monkeys. You just  _killed_  all of humanity. Are you happy now?"; Rip and Ray**

 

" _Great._ Thanks to  _you_ , the dominant species on the planet is now descended from  _lizards_ , not monkeys. You just  _killed_  all of humanity. Are you happy now?"

"No! I didn't mean to do anything - I was just trying to - I didn't know - I mean, I guess I should've -"

" _Breathe_ , Dr. Palmer. I apologize for snapping at you. Just - be more careful in the future, alright? We should be able to fix this, but who knows if we'd be able to the next time."

"I will. Scout's honor."

"...Right. Let's get to work."

 

 

**any, any, saving the world via rubber duckies and the proper application of aftershave; Jax**

 

You never would've believed that it would work if you hadn't done it yourself. People in the 5th century are thankfully a lot more superstitious than anyone had originally thought. 

 

 

**any, any, blowing stuff up and then having a glass of wine to celebrate the accomplishment; Sara**

 

The day's been saved and the time aberration corrected, thanks to some quick thinking and Mick's ability to make just about anything explode. Time to relax. You pour yourself a glass of wine, settle into the couch, and press play on the latest episode of Agents of SHIELD.  

 

 

**Any, any, "We found a winged man in the mammoth's stomach."; first line prompt; Nate and Amaya; spot the LOST reference**

 

"We found a winged man in the mammoth's stomach."

"Uh-huh."

"Rip's Scottish now."

"That's nice."

"I'm changing my name to Frank and flying to Guam."

"Right."

"Mick's late partner is back from the dead and dancing the can-can in the kitchen."

"Wonderful."

"Thawne's surrendered and wants to bake us cupcakes."

"Okay."

"Gideon's dead."

"Sounds good."

"Wow. So you really  _can't_  hear what anyone's saying when you're reading, huh?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Nate, did you say something?"

"Nothing important - you can go back to your book."

"O-kay..."

 

 

**Any, any, "Why do all the things I talk to not exist? Why?"; first line prompt; Kendra and Stein**

 

"Why do all the things I talk to not exist? Why?"

"Because you're on quite a bit of painkillers and seeing things, Ms. Saunders."

"Okay. Guess that makes sense. ...Why am I on painkillers?"

"For the thousandth time, some of the bones in your wings were broken. Captain Hunter had me administer some painkillers while he set up the procedure to have them be healed. Your wings are nearly back to normal, but the painkillers haven't worn off yet."

"And where's everyone else?"

"Finishing up the mission. Dr. Palmer will come relieve me in keeping watch over you shortly. Hopefully very shortly."

"Okay."

"..."

"Why do all the things I talk to not exist? Why?"

"Here we go again..."


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Any, any, "And as a reward for your service, I offer you this pile of snakes."; first line prompt; Unnamed 18th century town leader, Ray, and Rip; vaguely set post-season 2**

 

"And as a reward for your service, I offer you this pile of snakes."

"Really? That's amazing, thank you so much!"

"Dr. Palmer, we can't bring a pile of snakes onboard the Wave- our vessel."

"Awww, why not? I miss having a pet - and Mick has Axle, so you can't say it's because pets aren't allowed."

"One, I didn't have much of a say in Mr. Rory's having a pet as you gave it to him during my...absence from the team. Two, it's because -"

"Because...?"

"...I'm afraid of snakes, alright, Dr. Palmer? Especially a whole bloody pile of them!"

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

"Hardly anyone does, so it's okay. Just...don't bring any snakes onboard in the future. Or discuss them at all, if possible." 

"Can do!"

"So, you will not be accepting the snake pile?"

"No, sorry. My captain's not a fa- he doesn't like them."

"Ah. In that case… KILL THEM!"

 

 

**Any, any, "I think maybe I should put on pants."; first line prompt; Mick and Snart; pre-Snart/Mick with referenced Mick/OC; a ways pre-Flash**

 

"I think maybe I should put on pants."

"...Yeah, you probably should."

"I'll get right on that, but - I'm sorry about...all this. Didn't think you'd be coming over to this safe house anytime soon, so -"

"I wouldn't have normally, but I left some blueprints behind that I need to start planning our next heist. Your "friend" still here?"

"Yeah. He should be gone soon, though."

"Okay. That's...good. Great, even."

"You don't sound too enthused. Come to think of it, you've  _always_  sounded a bit off whenever I've had someone over. Not that I expect you to be jumping for joy or anythin', but..."

"Your  _point_ , Mick?"

"You're jealous, aren't you?"

" _No_!"

"That  _was_  a little quick for someone who's not jealous."

"..."

"..."

" _Fine_ , I'm jealous! I've  _been_  jealous of everyone you've been with over the last few years 'cause I can't get over my  _stupid_  feelings for you! Happy now, Mick?"

"Yeah, actually."

"...What?"

"Means I haven't been makin' something outta nothing and you  _do_  actually like me back." 

"Wait, so you -"

"Yeah. ...Wait, he  _should_  be heading out by now. Let me kick him out and then we can finish talking about this. If you  _want_  to finish talking about this?"

"I-I do. I can wait, Mick."

"'Kay. Should be quick."

 

 

**Any, any(/any), "I'm covered in _bees!"_ ; last line prompt; Nate; references Nate's fear of bees from “it was the best vacation…”**

 

"This has got to be one of the worst days of my life. I mean, it doesn't top nearly dying or watching my grandfather die. But it's still up there. We all but crash-land in the middle of nowhere - thank you ever so much for  _that_  Sara, by the way - with just no one and nothing to distract us from how frigging  _terrible_ the local wildlife is! Which is literally giant bugs! Straight from my nightmares, if I'm gonna be totally honest here. Then we have to traverse the bug-infested nightmare zone to find whatever's causing the time aberration because for some reason I couldn't have stayed on the ship instead! We took care of that ridiculously easily, which was the highlight of this trip. But before we could get back into the ship Mick just  _had_  to dislodge a giant hive and leave me where I am now. In what is literally one of my worst nightmares. I'm covered in  _bees!_ " 

 

 

**Any, Any, All Laid Up With A Broken Heart...; one sentence only; Kendra**

 

How do you mourn a son you can't even remember?

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, given the chance I'd lie again; one sentence only; Stein**

 

If it would mean Jefferson's alive to be mad at you, you'll never tell him the truth again. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, you'll realize why it's important later; one sentence only; Amaya; set during her childhood**

 

Why does Mom care so much about a silly necklace anyway?

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, every hero is the villain of someone else's story; one sentence only; Sara**

 

You're well aware that not everyone considers the Black Canary a hero. 

 

 

**Any, Any, Meet me halfway; one sentence only; Jax**

 

Hip-hop and rap music for you, history lesson for him - turns out Hamilton is something both you and Grey can enjoy.  


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Any, any, dreams: places where reality has no meaning, and anything can happen; Ray; referenced Ray/Anna, Ray/Kendra, and Kendra/Carter**

 

It's all or nothing when it comes to you remembering your dreams - either every detail from beginning to end follows you for days, or you wake up and the last thing you remember is checking the clock for the thousandth time. You're not sure which one you prefer. 

Because it's nice when the good dreams linger, but not remembering anything is better than when the nightmares last. And then there are the dreams that are so good, you almost don't want to wake up. Dreams that you want to stick around forever, but the memories of which torture you with how they'll never be real. 

Like all the dreams where Anna's alive - where she either never died or where she had but time travel rewrote history so that her death no longer happened. Or the ones where your family is whole and alive and together. The ones you feel guiltiest about are the ones where Kendra chooses you over Carter and stays on the Waverider - that's not the life she chose, it's not what she wanted, but you can't stop yourself from dreaming about it anyway. 

Luckily for your sanity, those kinds of dreams are fairly infrequent. Once in a blue moon, really, unless something triggers them. 

So falling asleep can be a bit of a gamble, far as dreaming goes. But it's one you're usually willing to bet on. 

 

 

**Any, Any, you could have been saved: but you pulled the trigger.; Snart; Snart/Mick; second kisses 'verse**

 

You could've made it out. You could've lived. Could've gone back to Central, to Lisa, and to pulling heists. 

_(Pick up the gun...)_

But it was  _Mick_. Mick who just  _had_ to take Raymond's place, who just  _had_  to put his life on the chopping block. If it'd been anyone else you would've left them to die, but it just  _had_  to be Mick. 

_(Safety off...)_

So you and Sara ran back to the Oculus, ran back to Mick. You apologized to Mick, knocked him out, slipped him your ring and your cold gun, and kissed Sara goodbye. 

_(Finger on the trigger...)_

Sara's dragging Mick away now. You allow yourself one last look at him, at your husband, before turning back to the Oculus. The time bastards come in. You snarl your last words - "There are  _no_  strings on me." - and close your eyes. Then you think of your second kiss with Mick, of the first time you ever held Lisa. 

_(Pull the trigger..)_

A bright blue light surrounds you. 

_(Bang!)_

Then everything goes black. 

 

 

**Any, Any, Do not stand at my grave and weep,/ I am not there, I do not sleep./ I am in a thousand winds that blow,/ I am the softly falling snow./ I am the gentle showers of rain,/ I am the fields of ripening grain./ I am in the morning hush,/ I am in the graceful rush/ Of beautiful birds in circling flight,/ I am the starshine of the night./ I am in the flowers that bloom,/ I am in a quiet room./ I am in the birds that sing,/ I am in each lovely thing./ Do not stand at my grave bereft/ I am not there. I have not left. - Mary Elizabeth Frye; Mick; Snart/Mick; pre-The Chicago Way**

 

You see Len everywhere. Not literally - your grief hasn't started making you see things (yet) - but just about everything reminds you of him. 

It starts small - a familiar smirk here, a sarcastic drawl there. Painfully bright blue eyes stuck in a stranger's face. A little kid's slippery fingers as they try to lift your wallet. 

Then it gets bigger, gets into the mark he's left on history. A set of Captain Cold figurines on sale in the future. Myths of a figure clad in a dark coat that could shoot ice from his fingers. Biographies dedicated to unraveling the mystery of The Flash's greatest non-meta enemy. 

Eventually it gets ridiculous - nearly jumping at someone who looks almost identical to him, only for them to turn out to be his grandfather. A mission back in 2012 that you need to stay onboard the Waverider for, clenching your hands into fists at the sound of his voice echoing through the team's coms. Another mission in the past that no one - not even you - figured he'd be in town for, and then having to lie through your teeth to a dead man's face to explain why you're there as well. 

It's almost getting hard to remember that he's dead with all of these echoes of him popping up everywhere. You wonder if Lisa's having just as hard a time back in Central, in  _his_  city. Least she doesn't have to deal with running into his past self. 

Honestly, you're not sure how much of this you can take. 

 

 

**Any, Any, Comfort food; Rip**

 

Normally nothing tastes better than your mother's cooking when you aren't feeling well, but even that tastes like dust now. It's hard to feel much of anything - you've come straight from burying Miranda and Jonas and everything just feels numb. 

 

 

**any ; any ; And suddenly there were unicorns!; Kendra; referenced Ray/Kendra**

 

...Unicorns are real.  _Unicorns_  are  _real_. Well, technically they  _were_  real, having been driven extinct somewhere in the Middle Ages, but still. Unicorns. 

Unicorns that really like your fiancé. They haven't left Ray alone since the two of you, Mick, and Sara ran into their herd about half an hour ago. Rip's given you half a dozen theories over the coms, but the truth is that he really doesn't know why the unicorns love Ray so much - other than usually attacking those who have maliciously hurt the innocent (with even varying definitions of what qualifies as "innocent"), there's no real pattern to their attitudes towards humans. 

But staying with the unicorns to figure it out won't get you more information on Savage, so you reluctantly wish them goodbye. Some of them trail after Ray for a few minutes before eventually turning around and heading back. The last one nudges Ray to pet its head, resulting in a beaming smile from your fiancé, and then runs back to the herd. 

 

 

**Author's Choice, Any/Any, Fantasies come true; Amaya; hints at Amaya/Mick; AU of Fellowship of the Spear**

 

You feel guilty for betraying the team, but between Mick's smile when you went to join him and the prospect of saving your village along with your family, you can't find it within yourself to regret it. Your village will be safe, will never know violent death or destruction. Your family will stay together, will never be scattered to the winds. And Mick?

You think of the relief and joy in his smile, of what might have been love in his eyes. You think of the weight that will be lifted off his shoulders once he changes his past. You think of how if it had been anyone else trying to tempt you with the spear, your answer would've been a certain "no" rather than a shaky "yes". 

You hold onto the spear, and take one last look at Mick before closing your eyes. You hold onto the spear and concentrate on the changes you want it to make - protecting your village, protecting your family, protecting everything and everyone you truly care about. You hold onto the spear as your deepest fantasies start to come true. 

And you don't regret a single decision that led to this moment. 

 

 

**Any, Any, "Remember times you would put me on your shoulders, how I wish it was forever you would hold us" - Daddy's gone, Glasvegas; Lily; post-major character death; sequel to “Sometimes I wish I was a little child again...”**

 

He's...dead. Dad's  _dead_. 

Everything else Jax says after that blurs together. Only bits and pieces - like how Dad died protecting Jax or how he was dead long before the team could get him to Gideon - stand out. It's hard to hear anything over the endless refrain of  _Dad's dead Dad's dead Dad's_   _dead_. 

You want to hate Jax for this, blame him for your dad's death. But then you notice how he's barely keeping it together himself and you remember how he and your dad were linked as Firestorm. If anyone outside of you and Mom could understand what you're going though, it'd be Jax. And honestly, losing someone you have a psychic link with has to be its own special hell. 

Oh, God,  _Mom_. How're you going to tell her about this? 

Jax offers to do it himself, but you wave the suggestion away. It should be the both of you. 

You pull Jax into a hug. After a long while you step back and ask if he wants a drink while you wait for Mom to come home. He says yes and follows you inside. 

 

 

**Author's Choice, any/any, You're gonna have to keep me awake all night; Nate and Jax**

 

"You're gonna have to keep me awake all night."

"Wha- Oh, 'cause of the concussion. Why me?"

"Other than Ray, you stay up the latest. Don't want to keep anyone up later than they're used to, and since Ray gets distracted too easily to keep me from falling asleep. So, would you mind?"

"Nah, it's cool. But you're gonna hafta find someone else after two or so - I'm not pulling an all-nighter with the way our lives work."

"Fair enough."

 

 

**Any, any, when myths come to life and demand to try your breakfast; Stein**

 

Zeus - or at least the time-traveling alien being impersonating him - is currently holding you hostage. Not only that, he also wants you to make him breakfast. Apparently omelets are a delicacy on his planet. 

Honestly, this is far from the weirdest thing you've experienced since you first became Firestorm. 


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Author’s choice, any, there’s no tomorrow.; Rip**

 

You've been to the end of the universe once - part of the final tests you get put through before you can become a fully-fledged Time Master. Something about seeing if your mind can comprehend that there's no more time left or if you'll go mad instead. It was a fairly close call, but you made it. Gave you nightmares for weeks, though. 

 

 

**Author's choice, any, fade to black.; Stein; prequel to “Sometimes I wish I was a little child again...”**

 

It was worth it. You couldn't let Jefferson be killed - partly due to how much you care for him and partly due to how he's still got his whole life ahead of him. Your last thoughts are of your love for Clarissa and Lily. 

Then everything goes black. 

 

 

**Any; Any; Five reasons why...; Snart; Snart/Mick; second kisses 'verse**

 

1: Though it's hard to admit, even now, you love him so much it terrifies you. 

2: It'll keep either of you from having to testify against the other, if things ever came to that. 

3: Related to 2, it'll let either of you visit the other in the hospital should you ever need something more serious than a back-alley doctor. 

4: Lisa's been bugging you to do it ever since it became legal. 

5: You've wanted to do it since long before that. 

 

 

**Any, any, _Booties never worn..._ ; Kendra**

 

You've lost more children over your lifetimes than you can - or care to - remember. 

 

 

**any, any, sweet baby jesus; Jax**

 

You're secretly glad that the life of Jesus is off-limits for time travelers. You've never been sure if you believed in God and you're not ready to find out if He exists or not. 

 

 

**Author's Choice, Any slash pairing, Getting up the courage to kiss him and then finally going through with it; Ray; Ray/Mick; hints at/implied quoiromantic ace! Ray**

 

Kissing Mick shouldn't be this daunting of a prospect. All the fictional romances you've read and watched say that Mick's behavior over the last few weeks - looking at you when he seems to think you can't notice, being extra protective, dialing down the gruffness and insults only for you - mean he's at least got a crush on you and may even be in love with you. You love him too, that much you're sure of. It's hard to tell if you're  _in love with him_ , but you want to try and figure it out. And if you never do, well, being in a romantic relationship with Mick still sounds like something you'd love to do. 

Back to the point - it seems like Mick's romantically interested in you. Even if he isn't, the two of you are good enough friends that you doubt he'll hate you for the assumption. At worst Mick'll growl at you and avoid you for a day or so. 

Mick's currently alone in his room, so there's no better time than the present to kiss him. You knock on his door and take a few deep breaths. Here goes nothing...

 

 

**Any, Any, First you steal it, then you break it: you're worse than the knave of hearts.; Mick; Snart/Mick; slight AU for Destiny but not a fix-it**

 

You'd never meant to fall in love with Len. Hell, you'd originally only intended to save the scrawny new kid's life and go on your merry way. But what you intended fell apart like a house of cards when that scrawny new kid wouldn't leave you alone. Kept stealing you lighters and snacks and shit to make you like him. Somewhere along the way Len must've stolen your heart as well 'cause you've been reluctantly gone on him ever since. 

You've never known if Len felt the same way about you - you never asked and he never said. Despite that, he's mostly treated your heart well. Cracked it every time he left, with the fire nearly splitting it in two, but what stolen good doesn't get a little roughed up along the way? 

And then the Oculus happens. Len asks you to forgive him, kisses you, and then knocks you out the second your lips part from his. You wake up in the medbay an hour later to the news that your partner is dead. 

Not only did he break your heart, he's smashed it into smithereens. 

 

 

**Author's choice, any/any, crime of passion.; Amaya; Amaya/Mick; during The Chicago Way**

 

It's a spur-of-the moment decision. You're nearly out of the warehouse when you spot a bottle tucked into a corner. Definitely alcohol, though it's hard to tell what kind. You grab the bottle and tuck it into your jacket before you can think twice about it. 

It's not until you're stepping onto the Waverider that you realize that you grabbed it because you knew Mick would appreciate the gesture. He'll be terrible at showing it, but he'll appreciate it all the same.

And it takes until you're walking away from Mick, your lips tingling from the kiss you gave him, for you to realize why you'd gone out of your way to give Mick a gift. 

 

 

**Author's choice, any, hitman AU.; Nate**

 

This is nowhere near the life you'd expected to have when you went to college. But there are apparently a great many people who'd kill to keep secrets from history buried. You'd had a choice between being killed doing what was right or live and do the killing, and in a moment of weakness you'd chosen the latter. 

You're used to it now and have gotten pretty good at it. Not quite League of Assassins good - you don't have the ego or the death wish to claim that - but you get the job done with little muss or fuss and are paid fairly well. And the insurance coverage given for people at your level of skill is actually pretty good. 

Your family still thinks you're a historian, which keeps them safe and off your case. It also helps in maintaining a cover identity. It's less helpful when said cover identity leads you to discovering that time travel is real and then accompanying known supervillain Heatwave while he recovers his team throughout all of time. 

But you don't leave. This is something you've dreamed about since you were a little kid. Long as you can keep your true identity and skills hidden from the former League member, this should make for an interesting vacation. 

 

 

**Any, Any, Moonlit dance.; Sara; Sara/Nyssa**

 

You only got to dance with Nyssa - truly, properly, dance - on one occasion. It was a bit clumsy and a bit awkward but in the end still good. Best dance you've ever had, honestly. 


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DarkestSight, I swear I wrote Rip's before you started posting about turned-into-a-cat! Rip. I guess great minds think alike.

**Any, any, they've all been turned into kittens; Rip**

 

This is, quite frankly, the weirdest thing that's happened to you in all your years of being a Time Master. There'd been a biologist from the future that you and the team had needed to stop before they could cause a time aberration with their experiments. On the one hand, you'd stopped them right as they were about to unleash a deadly virus. On the other, a vial had been broken in the ensuing fight which eventually affected the whole team. And had turned all of you into kittens by the following morning.

According to Gideon the effects should fade within a couple of days, which is good. You don't want to be a cat forever, and you don't know how long Dr. Palmer can last being allergic to himself.

 

 

**any fandom, any geeky (or secretly geeky) pair, but can their love survive being on opposing sides of a fandom ship war?; Ray and Nate; Nate/Ray**

 

"Han and Luke? You ship _Han_ and _Luke_? Really?"

"What's wrong with that? I like their dynamic better."

"But Han loves Leia - it's right in the movies!"

"I never said he didn't! I just said I prefer him and Luke together. That doesn't mean that I think he never loved Leia - just that I want him and Luke to be together in the end."

"But - you know what? Never mind. Think we're just gonna have to agree to disagree, here."

"Sounds fine to me."

 

 

**Author's choice, any, bad things always happen in threes.; Mick; suicidal ideation warning**

 

The great fires you've started - the terrible, all-consuming, can't tear your eyes away, fires - have all come with their own horrible costs. First one cost you your family. Ma, Pa, Mia, Mandy, Evan, and Hannah - all gone forever with the heat of the flames that overtook your house. Second cost you Len, though on a far less permanent basis. He'd left you a note saying the two of you were through, that he couldn't do this anymore. But Len was back about a year later with a gun that shot flames and an apology in his eyes. You know what the third's gonna be - your last hurrah. It won't be for a while, might not even be intentional. You know Len wouldn't want you to go too soon, and you're becoming reluctantly attached to the "heroes" you've been traveling with. Some of them - mainly Haircut - may even be sad to see you go.

Bad things come in threes, and nothing's worse or better than fire.

 

 

**any, any, our hearts are joined until Time slips its tired hand into our tired hands; E-36 Anna; Ray/Anna**

 

You don't think you're ever going to fall out of love with Ray, no matter who else you fall in love with after his death. It's not that the others didn't or won't mean as much. It's just...between his death haunting your dreams and your engagement ring on a chain around your neck, there's no chance of your forgetting him. And if you can't forget him, there's less of a chance of you falling out of love with him.

 

 

**Author's Choice, author's choice, nuclear winter; Snart; AU season 2**

 

This is the one kind of winter you never want to see again - thankfully it's an easily fixable aberration.

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, I'll be your winter coat buttoned and zipped straight to the throat with the collar up so you won't catch a cold.; Kendra and Sara; Sara/Kendra**

 

"Y'know, you don't have to completely wrap yourself around me. Just around my arm'd be fine."

"But you said you were cold."

"But I'd also like to move."

"Why? 'S'not like we need to go anywhere right now."

"True. I'm feeling a bit claustrophobic though, with how tightly you're wrapped around me. I appreciate the gesture, Sara, but can you please let me go? Just a bit?"

"Ugh, fine."

"Thank you."

 

 

**any, any, lolcats; Jax**

 

You feel bad for whoever draws the straw to explain what lolcats are to Grey. Fingers crossed it's not gonna be you.

 

 

**Author’s choice, any, standing on the bones of the past; Amaya**

 

It's 2173 and you're standing on a patch of dirt that used to hold your home. There's a school where you used to run around with your friends. A house is covering where the old well with its withering stones once stood. Your village is long gone with no one from this time to remember that it existed here once.

You wipe away the tears and head back to the Waverider.

 

 

**any, any, I want to hold your hand as we walk side by side.; Stein; Stein/Clarissa**

 

Over the decades and despite the changes and challenges you've faced, one thing that's stayed the same for you and Clarissa is that whenever you walk anywhere together you hold hands. It's a small thing that means a lot.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abuse reference warning for Snart's snippet

**Any, Any, it's the worst thing they could possibly do to him: methodically breaking each of the bones in his hands and fingers, leaving him essentially useless.; Mick; pre-Flash**

 

It's the worst thing they could possibly do to him: methodically breaking each of the bones in his hands and fingers, leaving him essentially useless. Which is why it's such a good threat. You know how highly Len values his hands - they're essential to everything he does. Maybe they'd heal well enough to use again one day, but never to the same degree. His thieving days would be over. 

So you step in front of Len and tell the goons that if they want to hurt him they'd have to go through you first. Len throws you a - for him - worried glance, but you don't back down. 

They mutter amongst themselves before finally backing away. You share a quick relieved look with Len. Appearing tough and not-to-be-messed-with has its advantages. 

 

 

**Any, any, though he/she couldn't walk, he/she still had his/her hands.; Ray**

 

Being temporarily bed-ridden while Gideon fixes up your legs is less than fun. On the bright side, your arms are in perfect working condition so you're still capable of working on projects and such. Though Gideon and Rip agreed that you should either rest or stick to less potentially dangerous activities - like reading. But you don't feel like reading, you want to finish up an upgrade on part of your ATOM suit. 

Mick doesn't mind breaking the rules - maybe he could get your stuff for you...

 

 

**any, any, counterfeit soul; Sara; either pre- or early on- Legends**

 

Besides the bloodlust, something inside you doesn't quite feel right. Nothing hurts, nothing aches - there's just a feeling of...of  _wrongness_  somewhere in your chest. If you believed in souls you'd say there's something wrong with yours. But since you're not sure if you do, you're at a loss to explain the feeling. 

All you know is that while you're glad to be alive, you're not a fan of the side efforts of resurrection. 

 

 

**Author's choice; author's choice; lying by omission.; Rip; pre-season 2**

 

It's not like any of them will ever need to know the Spear exists, so there's no need to tell them about it. Which means when they ask what all kinds of things they need to worry about protecting you don't mention it. Why worry them about something that you already have handled?

 

 

**Any, Any, "It's the little lies we tell ourselves that keep us all sane."; Snart; Snart/Mick; abuse reference warning**

 

Dad's gonna stop hurting you and Mom. 

Mom's gonna get better soon. 

Lisa's never gonna get hurt by Dad like you and her mom. 

Lisa's mom is gonna come back and take us away. 

Dad will stop making you help him with heists.

You won't get caught.

You won't get hurt in juvie.

You don't like Mick - not like  _that_ , anyway. 

Dad's never going to lay a hand on Lisa again.

This heist is going to go perfectly. 

You're never going to kill anyone again. 

You'll never kill anyone for no reason again. 

This will put Dad away forever.

You're only teaching Lisa how to steal if she needs it as a last resort.

You're only bringing Lisa along on this heist so that it can scare her straight. 

You don't need Mick.

Lisa's going to live a normal life.

It's not like you only do this for the thrill sometimes. 

You could handle a normal life.

Getting married to Mick is a horrible idea.

Being married to Mick isn't going to go well.

You've gotten worse injuries from Dad.

You can get Mick away from this fire, no problem.

You don't miss Mick.

You're not getting this heat gun for Mick.

You're not glad Mick's by my side once more. 

Lisa's not going to get caught up in this supervillain thing.

You're not sorry the Flash got himself killed. 

You have no regrets about killing Dad. 

You're only getting on that ship to steal stuff from history.

Mick's going to be fine.

You're going to be fine without him, and Lisa's better off with him not in 2016.

You're dreaming - Mick  _can't_  be Chronos. 

This isn't gonna hurt that much.

This will make things better between you and Mick.

Mick's going to forgive you for swapping places with him. 

You're going to see Lisa again.

You're -

 

 

**Author's Choice, Any/Any(/Any) “I love you, but you are not mine”; Jonah; Rip/Jonah with referenced Rip/Miranda and Rip/Miranda/Jonah**

 

Rip's gonna leave you eventually. He may love you - a feeling that, if pressed, you'd admit to reciprocating - but he ain't yours. Not really. 

For all his talk 'bout people from the future being okay with people loving more than one person at once equally, you can't help but think that he'd choose his wife over you if he was forced to choose. And you know it's a matter of time before he chooses his time over yours, regardless of who he loves more.

It's the little things - talking 'bout all the fancy machinery he's grown up with, lamenting the lack of equal rights in "this era", looking longingly in the direction of his time ship... He may love you and your time, but he's unlikely to stay here. Least not for good.

You entertain the thought of goin' with him when he leaves since there's not much tying you to Calvert. From what you've learned about the future you're not sure you'd fit in there. There's not much you could do to help him with his time-traveling mission either. 

So you'll enjoy your time with him while he's here, but you'll try not to get too used to it. He ain't yours and he's never gonna be. Not really. 

 

 

**Any ensemble show, any team, The spell/device/whatever that de-aged their bodies didn't affect their minds; with no immediate fix in sight, they decide to keep working; doing their job as four-year-olds is... challenging.; Kendra**

 

There was a bit of a booby trap on the ship you and the team boarded yesterday, looking for information on Savage. Due to the ship's age, it'd taken until the next day to finish affecting you. And affecting you all it had - every single person on the team currently has the body of a four-year-old. Though thankfully your minds are still intact and you're not  _thinking_  like four-year-olds. 

Gideon's searching for a fix, but for the foreseeable future you're all stuck like this. So Rip, whose British stuffiness appears hilarious in his current body, announces that you might as well continue the hunt for Savage. Everyone shares a "what the hell is he on" look. 

Snart's the first to say what you're all thinking - his usual drawl coming out a bit unsteady. He points out that he and Mick wouldn't be able to hold their guns, Ray couldn't fit in his suit, Stein and Jax wouldn't pack nearly as much of a punch, Rip's gun couldn't hit much more than people's shins, Sara wouldn't have enough strength to attack people properly, and you'd be more of a fluffy chick than a threatening hawk goddess. Not to mention Savage wouldn't be able to take any of you seriously. Basically, it'd be a complete mess. 

Rip continues to insist, so you make a deal: if this isn't fixed on a week, you'll continue your mission. Until then you'll use the time to get used to your new bodies. 

 

 

**Author’s choice, any, they’ll never see the likes of you again.; Jax; Sometimes I wish I was a little child again... 'verse**

 

Even if they find a way to recreate Firestorm without Grey, it won't be the same. 

 

 

**Any, any, he said, she said; Stein**

 

It can be hard being the eldest person on the ship and thusly the most sensible. All the others often dissolve into petty arguments - "he said this" "she said that"... It can get so tiring to overhear and witness. Who knows how they all have the energy to keep it up themselves. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, there's nothing good on TV; Amaya**

 

With the nearly unlimited number of channels that the future has - all of them in color - you'd think there'd actually be something interesting to watch in your limited free time. But so far there's been nothing. Maybe Sara has some suggestions...

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, a favorite place (or thing) gets torn down or closes; Nate**

 

One of your guilty pleasure favorite things about time travel? Getting to go to Borders again. 


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**Any, any, it's one two three and you're gone, and then no one even knows you existed; Snart; prequel/companion to “a love for the ages..”; major character death; E-16**

 

It's a small price to pay. Your life or Mick's - an easy decision to make that you've made before. He won't even remember that he lost you again. 

So you knock Mick out (again), kiss him goodbye (again), and step into the chamber. It's disturbingly easy. To wipe yourself from existence all you need to do is make sure Mick's not there to rescue your younger self. 

You make sure to make one more change before the new timeline settles in - CPS finding undeniable proof of your dad hurting Lisa and her being put into a loving new home. You wouldn't be around to protect her, so you have to ensure she'd be safe. 

The time pig wannabes can't do anything to stop you. You hear their anguished yells as everything disappears. 

 

 

**Any, any, chinese finger trap; Mick**

 

You shouldn't have left him alone with that thing. Time to go rescue Haircut from himself again...

 

 

**Any, Any, "Nobody leaves without singing the blues!"; Sara**

 

Stein's...drunk. He's climbing onto the barroom table while shouting that nobody can leave without singing the blues first. Who knew the old guy had it in him? 

 

 

**Any, any, unlawful entrapment; Jax**

 

Being kidnapped by the bad guys is  _really_  getting old. Can they go after one of the others next time for a change? 

 

 

**Any, any, Their skin burns anywhere they don't touch.; Amaya; Amaya/Mick and past Snart/Mick starting to turn into Amaya/Snart/Mick**

 

You'd landed in a weird branch of the far future where their criminal justice system had undergone a huge change - instead of simply putting people in jail, they had their punishment fit the crime. A thief would be stolen from, a mugger mugged, a hacker hacked, and so on. If they killed, they wouldn't be killed in turn - a line they refuse to cross - but instead would be forced to feel everything their victim(s) felt. 

And somehow they'd found out about Mick having burnt his family alive. 

Didn't matter that he didn't mean to, or that he'd do anything to keep it from having happened. Before you or Leonard or anyone else could break in and rescue Mick, they'd injected him with something that made him feel like he was burning alive. Not only that, but it'd last an hour for every family member. Two parents plus four siblings equal six hours of pain. 

Back in the medbay, you lay a comforting hand on Mick's shoulder. Leonard's taking Mick's other hand. Shortly after, Mick quiets slightly, as though the pain isn't quite as bad anymore. You take your hands away and Mick goes back to how he was.

Leonard asks Gideon if skin-to-skin contact could help Mick. The AI responds that it could by giving him a different sensation to focus on. 

You and Leonard then share a look. Things have been a bit rocky between the two of you ever since he came back last week - you've been worried about losing Mick and he's likely been worried about if he could regain his relationship with his husband. The one thing you can definitely agree on is that you both love Mick. You can set aside anything else if it means helping him. 

So, almost in unison, you both shed a layer or two before trying to curl up next to Mick. The bed's much too small for two people to fit comfortably, let alone three, but you make it work. Your right arm brushes Leonard's chest while his left settles awkwardly next to your hip. You'd be lying if you said you didn't enjoy both that sensation and the one caused by Mick's presence, but that's something to examine more closely tomorrow. Tonight's all about Mick. 

 

 

**any, any/any, "Sometimes in my darkest thoughts, I wish I'd never learned / What it is to be in love and have that love returned" ~Aida; Ray; references to past Ray/Anna, Ray/Felicity, and Ray/Kendra**

 

Ninety percent of the time you're a "better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" kinda guy. The other ten percent - when you're questioning that whole thing and almost wishing love'd never happened to you - comes up fairly rarely but consistently. It's on the day that's supposed to be your and Anna's anniversary or whenever you come across drafts of her forever unfinished book. It's when you see a fancy dress or necklace that Felicity would deny loving or when you use some of the hacking tricks she taught you. It's whenever you hear obscure 50s songs that you and Kendra had danced to countless times or the rare times you run into one of her other incarnations. 

Every single time hurts just as much as the first. Then you get a flash of regret followed by a wave of shame. Not for not wanting to feel the pain, but for momentarily not wanting to have met them. Most of you would rather take the pain long as you got to keep the memories of the good times as well. The rest of you is a part you usually try to forget. 

 

 

**any, any, no life without coffee; Stein**

 

Staying awake in the morning without coffee is about as possible as forming Firestorm without Jefferson.

 

 

**Any, Any/Any, I can't stop loving you (but God knows I've tried); established Nate/Amaya and pre-Nate/Ray/Amaya**

 

You have Amaya. Amaya's enough. Amaya  _should_  be enough. And it's not that you don't love her - you do. You  _really_  do.

But that doesn't keep you from thinking about Ray. Doesn't keep you from wanting to hold him or kiss him or be in a relationship with him. Nor does it keep you from staring at Ray or fantasizing about him from time to time. 

You're starting to go crazy. All this thinking about Ray and trying not to is distracting you to the point where it's affecting you during missions. Even Amaya's beginning to pick up on it - thank God Ray's oblivious to just about everything. 

You should tell Amaya the truth at some point. Tell her that while you're still in love with her, you're also falling for Ray. Then cross your fingers and hope she doesn't hate you. 

Maybe it can wait another day...

 

 

**Any, Any, _Why don’t you two just snog each other?_ ; Rip; Rip/Sara; set during the 6 months between seasons 1 and 2**

 

It seems like your whole team - bar Sara - is in on some bizarre scheme to get you to date Sara. Why, you don't know. If pressed you  _might_  admit to yourself that you  _could_  have non-platonic feelings for her, but nothing concrete beyond that. Kissing her - let alone being with her - is unimaginable. 

(Well. Actually being able to kiss her is unimaginable. Daydreaming about the possibility on the other hand...)

Anyway, your team has gone from subtle (Martin asking how things between you and Sara are going) to less than (Dr. Palmer saying you should spend more time with Sara and then recommending a romantic restaurant) to the obvious (Jefferson asking why you don't just kiss her already) to the frankly obscene (Mr. Rory shoving a beer bottle in your hand before saying that if you're going to approach Sara about sleeping with her you're going to need some liquid courage first). It's getting ridiculous. 

Your sole consolation is that it doesn't seem like Sara's cottoned on to your potential feelings for her. You don't need her rejection on top of all this. 

 

 

**any, any, "God gave us this planet in order to see what we would with it. Laboratory rats could've done better..."; Kendra**

 

It's just a possible future. Highly unlikely to become a real one, as Rip keeps telling you and the others. And Ray keeps saying that with time travel it could be changed either way. 

But still. To know that this  _could_  happen, that humans  _could_  do this to their own planet... It's heartbreaking. 


	21. Chapter Twenty

**author's choice, author's choice, a fourth of the horses in the world today are unicorns in disguise; Ray**

 

A fourth of the horses in the world today are unicorns in disguise and it's technically your fault. Not that it's a bad thing really - it doesn't make a huge impact on the timeline and the impact it  _does_  have isn't negative. But the fact remains that if it wasn't for you unicorns would be extinct in the modern day. 

It's a weird kind of legacy but not a bad one. 

 

 

**Author’s choice, any, History became legend; legend became myth.; Jax**

 

Huh. Looks like you get to be actual legends after all. 

 

 

**Author’s choice, any, the place where the traitor lost both his name and his face.; Mick**

 

If there's one thing you'll be glad about when the timeline changes is that no one will remember you betrayed them. You don't really regret it - how  _can_  you regret trying to get Len and your family back - but you do feel bad about it. Especially in Haircut's and Amaya's cases. Haircut believes in everyone so much he was probably crushed when he found out you'd betrayed the team. And the look on Amaya's face when you'd stood with Len will haunt you forever, as will having to watch her die. 

But after this mission no one will remember any of that and your version of you will no longer exist. Small mercies.

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, absolute power corrupts absolutely; Rip**

 

The Spear of Destiny holds too much power for anyone to be allowed to use it - hence your decision to recruit the JSA in your mission to spread its pieces throughout history. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, imitation is the highest form of flattery; Snart; post-Legends retirement AU**

 

When Mick and Lisa found out about your groupie wannabe and their attempts to make a name for themselves as Captain Cold 2.0, they just about died laughing. You'd rolled your eyes and set to work. You may be retired, but you're not completely out of the game just yet. 

Time to show this groupie just what kind of trouble they've gotten themselves into. 

 

 

**Any Fandom, Any/Any, Promise Ring; E-36 Anna; E-36 Anna/Kendra; while they're stuck in the 50s**

 

You're a long ways away from what little rights the 21st century has to offer for LGBT+ people, so proposing to Kendra won't legally mean much more than a promise ring. But you love her, love her more than you'd ever thought possible after Ray died. So it doesn't matter if proposing won't mean much legally - emotionally it'll matter more than words could describe, and that's the important thing. 

 

 

**Any, any, back to the drawing board; Stein**

 

Considering that that project shouldn't have even been flammable, let alone able to explode, something had to have gone horribly wrong. Time to start from the beginning. Again. 

 

 

**any, any, "if you want to be inconspicuous, don't wear a bright orange hoody!"; Amaya**

 

The less said about Nate's latest attempt at stealth, the better. 

 

 

**any, any, working with Death is peculiar sometimes; Kendra; prequel to Personification of Death; a bit off prompt**

 

It's going to take you a while to get used to this "Grim Reaper" job - the fact that Death had personally picked you of all people to be their replacement being just the tip of the iceberg. 

Another thing to get used to is that Death doesn't kill anyone. They just make sure the death sticks and the person is able to get to where they're supposed to go. Speaking of which, they still haven't told you where that even  _is_. Heaven? Reincarnation? Nothingness? You still don't have a clue. 

Then there's the wide range of how people can die. From the horrible (a brutal murder that still gives you nightmares) to the sad (alone and in pain) to the almost sweet (old age and surrounded by family) to the straight-up bizarre (prank gone terribly wrong). 

You won't  _have_  to wear a cloak or carry a scythe, though you can if you want. You're not going to turn into a skeleton. You  _are_  going to be lonely. 

It'll be a hard job, a tough job, a thankless job. But it's the most important one out there. And  _someone's_ got to do it. 

 

 

**Any, any, no good conversation ever started with "He's fine, don't worry"; Nate; AU where his being a hemophiliac either went on longer and/or was discovered differently**

 

You're not fine, actually. But none of the team knows - or needs to know in your opinion - that injuries they can walk off can kill you. Ray keeps blabbering on about how the mission went and how cool the time period was. You'd yell at him to shut up, but that would both be mean and reveal that your injury's worse than it should be. 

Finally he stops talking, letting you excuse yourself from the conversation and leave the room. 

Your vision is starting to go black around the edges by the time you reach the medbay. The last thing you see before you pass out is that the room's not empty - Stein's consulting Gideon about something. The team's going to know your secret, but at least you won't bleed to death. 


	22. Chapter Twenty-One

**Any, any, "When I first met you was the same time that you first met me."/"What a coincidence."; Ray, then Mick; Ray/Mick; takes place in a pre-Phone Home AU**

 

"When I first met you was the same time that you first met me."

"What a coincidence."

"No, no, I mean - Like, even with the time travel and everything, the first time either of us met the other was on that rooftop. That hasn't changed. I dunno, I just thought that was important."

"...Huh. Guess so."

"And as long as we're -"

"Can it wait until morning? I'd like to get to sleep at some point tonight."

"Sure, Mick. Sorry."

"'S okay. G'night."

"Goodnight."

"..."

"..."

"...I'm glad we met when we did. If not, we might not've - never mind. 'S too late to talk about this crap."

"..."

"..."

"I am too, Mick. And I - I think I love you. But I'll tell you again tomorrow, when you're awake."

 

 

**any/any, "And I've got a run in my stockings."; Sara and Rip; Rip/Sara**

 

"I'm cold, might have a broken rib, can't feel my toes, and I've got a run in my stockings."

"Is that last one  _really_  that important, Sara? In the grand scheme of things?"

"In the grand scheme? No. To me? Yes, yes, it is. Never gotten a run in my stockings before and I'm slightly pissed the streak's broken now."

"Can you be "slightly pissed" about it later? Right now we need to focus on getting back to the Waverider."

"Okay, fine. Let's do this."

 

 

**Any, any, I keep telling myself "this is the last time" but it just keeps happening; Snart; Snart/Mick; prequel to "How am I supposed to forget you…” where Mick died at the Oculus**

 

Rip lets you go back to see Mick once so you can say goodbye. It's the worst torture imaginable - seeing Mick, talking to Mick, drinking in his presence because you're never going to be able to do so again. And you can't even say everything you want to say between not changing the future and this Mick still being fresh from your post-fire breakup. 

It's supposed to be the one and only time you go back to see him. The one and only time you risk changing the timeline to such an extent. The one and only time you get to see Mick alive and well after his death. 

But it isn't. 

A few weeks pass before you go visit Mick again. You bribe Gideon into not revealing your destination (the less said about the process of bribing an AI the better) and take the jump ship for a spin. You go a bit earlier, to right before things went wrong with the fire. You kiss Mick and spiral into a panic attack over how you've lost him and might be changing things for the worse. Mick helps calm you down, though he's clearly concerned about where that came from, and then falls asleep. You sneak out after slipping the memory wiping pill into a glass of water. 

That isn't the last time. You go back again and again, all but addicted to stealing moments and new memories of Mick. Each time you tell yourself you won't do it again, but you know it's a promise you can't keep. 

Then the hallucinations begin...

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, "Flying is learning how to throw yourself to the ground and miss."; Kendra**

 

You tell Cisco that flying is exhilarating and scary - like riding a roller coaster that you design as it goes. It's not the whole truth, but it's close. 

You tell Ray that flying is exciting and amazing - like the feeling of falling in love. It's not the whole truth, but it's close. 

You tell Sara that flying is freeing and carefree - like leaving the ground is comparable to escaping from a terrible prison. It's not the whole truth, but it's close. 

Honestly? Douglas Adams put it best - flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. 

 

 

**Any, any, dreams of flying; Jax**

 

You fly so often as Firestorm that you're starting to dream about it. It's not something you always remember, but you always know if it's happened - Grey's grumpier than usual and a bit queasy the morning after your dreams. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, flying is not near as much fun as it seems; Stein**

 

Flying isn't nearly as much fun as it seems - even if you're not the one physically doing it. Given that Jefferson suffers no ill effects, it's actually worse in that case. The longer the flights, the worse it gets. 

 

 

**Author's choice, any, a morality inversion; Amaya; E-66**

 

You slit Rex's killer's throat before he can even blink. Captain Lance uses her ship's medbay to keep him from dying and heal him. Then it turns out he  _didn't_  kill Rex - he's not even capable of hurting a fly, despite his fearsome appearance. Shame.

Captain Lance offers you a deal - she and her team will help you get revenge on whoever really killed Rex if you help them wipe out whoever's trying to change history against their wishes. Seems fair enough, so you take it. Should be interesting. 

 

 

**Author's choice/Discworld, now how had they managed to miss a flat planet riding four elephants riding a turtle??; Nate**

 

It's one of the few times you're traveling through space rather than time - the Waverider had received a transmission from a ship in need and Sara'd decided that you should all go help. That mission had been pretty simple and went off with as few hitches as possible for the team. So now you're on your way back to Earth. 

Ray's the first one to notice it - a gigantic sea turtle swimming through space. With four gigantic elephants on its back. And a flat, disc-shaped world on  _their_  backs. 

Discworld's real. Who would've guessed? 


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Any, Any, An unusual gift.; Ray**

 

A rat's far from a traditional Christmas gift - at least from your experience - but Mick's far from a traditional guy. You put the rat in the cage Gideon fabricated for you and cover the cage with a green and red blanket. Then, you grab the cage by the handle, take a deep breath, and head for the kitchen/dining room. 

Fingers crossed that Mick likes his gift.

 

 

**Any, any, it was not planned or intentional but they gave each other the same gift....family.; Sara**

 

It's like you told Stein - everyone on this ship is a family. A mismatched, unintentional, messed-up family. You get on each other's nerves, bicker endlessly, and let insults fly. But you also care for each other, comfort those who are hurting, and would die for them if necessary. Family doesn't always get along, but they love each other anyway. And it's a term that fits this team perfectly. 

 

 

**Author's Choice, Author's Choice, I can't trust you (anymore); Snart**

 

He'd threatened Lisa.  _Lisa_. For all your fights, for all your disagreements, for all your betrayals, that's the one line he's never crossed. The one line you've trusted him not to cross. 

He loves -  _loved_ , you suppose - Lisa almost as much as you do. You're still shocked that he'd threatened her. Being turned into Chronos likely played a part in his doing so, but still. 

The idea of choosing between them is one you've never liked to consider. But since he crossed that line, you're picking Lisa. Her safety comes first. It has to. If it comes at the cost of never being able to trust him again, that's what has to happen. 

If it tears you up inside to make this choice, that's what you get for leaving him behind in the first place. 

 

 

**Any, any, It doesn't matter how small the wound is, when it's family that's bleeding, it always seems like too much.; Kendra; pre-Flash**

 

Since you're seven years older than your sisters, you're given the job of watching them when your parents are at work or need a break. Usually it goes alright, sometimes they get on your nerves, and occasionally they nearly give you a heart attack. Today's one of the last kind. 

Kat's scraped both her knees, while Kaylee's scraped her elbows. You panic for a few seconds at the blood running down their legs/arms before you examine their injuries and realize the wounds aren't that deep. Still, it takes a couple deep breaths for you to calm down.

Afterwards, you grab a washcloth, some Neosporin, and a ton of bandaids. You clean Kat and Kaylee up and kiss their injuries - after applying the bandaids - better. 

A few seconds after that, they're running around like nothing even happened. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, cats sweat on the bottom of their feet; Nate and Amaya; Nate/Amaya**

 

"Hey, Amaya, did you know cats sweat on the bottom of their feet?"

"Yes, I did."

"What about gorillas being able to catch human colds and other illnesses?"

"That, too."

"Okay. Have you heard that while dogs, on average, have better eyesight than humans, their vision isn't as colorful?"

"I have, Nathaniel."

"Did you know that there are one million ants for every human?"

"...No, actually. Why the sudden interest in animal facts?"

"Well, your thing is animals. I just wanted to be able to, um, connect with you better I guess. I don't think I worded that right, uh -"

"No, I understand. Thank you, that was sweet of you."

"You're welcome."

 

 

**any; any; don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff; Mick**

 

You don't worry about much. Len, Lisa, and if you'll get to light a fire soon - that's it. Nothing else matters enough to worry about. Makes things easier. 

 

 

**Any, any, a ball of nerves; Stein**

 

Anxiety makes everything worse. 

 

 

**Any, Any, "Are you crying?" "It's the morphine."; Jax and Rip**

 

"Are you crying?" 

"It's the morphine."

"Uh-huh. Sure, Rip. It's not 'cause of the long and frustrating day you had that culminated in a surprise party and a broken arm for you. No, it's just the morphine." 

"Exactly, Mr. Jackson."

"Fine. Whatever. Live in denial all you want."


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Any, any, the Valentine's Card had an anatomically correct heart on it; Stein; Martin/Clarissa**

 

The heart needs to be as real as your love for Clarissa - and the fake cartoony hearts get on your nerves, anyway. 

 

 

**Any, Any, "I have a fluttery feeling in my chest and I'm hot all over, like I'm sick. I don't like it, make it stop."; Mick and Ray; Ray/Mick; quoiromantic! Ray**

 

"I have a fluttery feeling in my chest and I'm hot all over, like I'm sick. I don't like it, make it stop."

"I can't, Mick."

"Why the hell not? You're a doctor, ain't you?"

"One, not that kind of doctor - I'm more the academic kind. Two, there's nothing wrong with you. You're in love, that's all."

"In love? Oh,  _great_. Jus' what I need, being in love with -"

"With who?"

"...Doesn't matter."

"You don't have to tell me, but you can. I won't judge."

"Well, the fluttering and the heat only happen around you. So I'm in love with you."

"Mick, I - I -"

"Don't feel the same. You don't gotta let me down easy Haircut, I get it."

"That's not what I was trying to say. I  _do_  love you, Mick. I just - I'm not sure if I'm  _in love_  with you or not. That's why I hesitated. It's always hard for me to figure out which kind it is - I didn't realize I might've been in love with Kendra until Martin asked me about it.

"So, if you're okay with that, I'd like to, um, date you? If it's alright with you."

"You'd still be okay with romantic shit? Even if you're not sure if you feel it?"

"I would, yeah. Can I kiss you?"

"Sure."

 

 

**Author's choice; author's choice; _"i carry your heart_ _(i carry it in my heart)"_ ; Snart; Snart/Mick; same ’verse as “How am I supposed to forget you…”**

 

 _Mick would've loved the ninjas_  is all you can think while the team's trying to fix feudal Japan. 'Cause he's - he  _was_  - obsessed with them. Made you watch every single ninja movie in existence with him. Now you can't even look at one without tears threatening to prick the corners of your eyes. 

The zombies would've freaked him out a bit, though he never would've admitted it. Not as badly as Stein was, but he'd have been uneasy. Would've liked seeing them be blown up. 

He wasn't as much of a sci-fi fan as you, but he would've enjoyed the alien invasion. If only because of the novelty of burning aliens. He might've liked Supergirl's heat vision. 

If it weren't for his ghost floating over your shoulder, you would've thought he'd like 20s Chicago - gangsters, lawlessness, Al Capone, memories of your time there together... Should've been right up his alley. Instead, he's telling you to leave, leave while you still can. Asking why you're bothering to help these heroic losers who barely gave a shit when he died. Throws you off your game. 

You can almost see him rolling his eyes at your excitement over meeting George Lucas. He would've been worried when you start getting affected by the aberration and relieved when it doesn't affect you as much as Nathaniel and Raymond. You might've been able to get him to join the movie marathon with you, Amaya, and the nerd twins. 

He might've liked Washington, grumbled over everyone's excitement for Camelot, could've helped de-brainwash Hunter, and may have liked going to the moon. 

And then he's back. From right after you'd given him the heat gun. He's there and alive and you can't take your eyes off him. 

You don't resist joining him and the Legion. You  _can't_. You've carried his memory with you all this time and now that he's finally back - 

You love him too much not to go with him. 

 

 

**Any, any, he doesn't have the heart to tell him...; Rip**

 

You go back to see Jonas - just once. It's heartbreaking and painful, and it must show on your face because he asks you what's wrong. You lie and say it's because of a recent mission. There's no way you can tell him the truth. 

 

 

**any, any/any, Losing a baby is not a thing that you could ever get used to. ~Erica Eisdorfer, _The Wet Nurse's Tale;_  E-36 Anna; E-36 Anna/Kendra; Kendra and Anna; while they were trapped in the 50s; may not be 100% canon for the E-36 'verse**

 

"Are - Are you okay?"

"Mmn, I'm fine. Why?"

"'Cause you've seemed off ever since we got back from town. ...Ever since we went through the baby section of the clothing store, really. If you don't want to talk, that's fine. I'm here if you do, though."

"..."

"..."

"...I was pregnant once. Didn't even know until I woke up in the hospital after the Star City siege to a broken leg and the news that I'd had a miscarriage."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"It doesn't bother me all the time - just when I go through baby stuff aisles and stuff. Reminds me of what could've been, you know?"

"Yeah. It's happened to me in a couple of my past lives, too. So if you ever want to talk about it more, just let me know."

"I will."

 

 

**any, any(/any), the perfect birthday card; Kendra; implied Ray/Kendra**

 

This one is  _perfect_  - it's got a picture of an atom on the cover.

 

 

**Any, any, childhood birthdays (before it all went wrong); Ray**

 

Your (and Sydney's) fourteenth birthday is the last one you get to spend with your parents. After this, it's just the two of you and Ashley. After this, you don't get much in the way of presents 'cause Ashley's job doesn't pay enough for her to be too extravagant. After this, the Palmer family birthday parties are down from five people to three. 

But you don't know any of that yet. 

Right now, it's just you and Sydney competing to see who can blow their candles out first. Right now, your older sister shakes her head at your antics. Right now, your parents are smiling at you from across the table - unaware they'll die in a car crash before the month's out. 

It's the last birthday before it all goes wrong. 

 

 

**any, any/any, love does exactly what it wants to do; Nate; Nate/Amaya**

 

You hadn't meant to fall in love with a woman from the 40s, a woman who should be about your grandfather's age, but you did so anyway. There's no fighting love when it's made up its mind. 

 

 

**Author's Choice, Author's Choice, I never expected you to do that!; Jax**

 

Grey somehow manages to always surprise you - he's pretty ingenious for an old man. 

 

 

**Any, any, this is the first day of my last days; Amaya**

 

You've decided - you're going to go back to 1942 in a month from today. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say a big thank you to SophiaCatherine and DarkestSight (Daylight) for reviewing nearly every single chapter. It's greatly appreciated, and it's definitely one of the highlights of updating this fic. No pressure to keep up the trend - just wanted to let you know that I'm grateful for every kind word you've said about this story.  
> (And a huge thank you to everyone else that has read and reviewed this story - you're another highlight of updating this fic!)


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Author’s choice, any, I’m going to ask you to look away.; Miranda; AU of when Savage comes to kill her and Jonas**

 

You ask Jonas to turn around and close his eyes. He's too young to watch his mum shoot someone in the chest. 

 

 

**Author's Choice, Author's Choice, It's a rule of thumb never to look down the barrel of a gun.; E-66 Snart; alt. season one of Flash**

 

Being on the other end of a gun always means that something's gone wrong. And ever since that particle accelerator exploded, a lot of things have been going wrong. Number one being that horrific speedster that's been terrorizing the city -  _your_  city. The same speedster that's gotten a hold of your cold gun and is currently pointing it at you. 

Thankfully the Flash starts to monologue, giving you enough time to signal Mick without him noticing. Mick storms out from where he's been hiding, blasting the speedster with his heat gun. That startles him and lets you grab your cold gun back. The Flash shakes his head in frustration at having two guns pointed at him before zooming away. 

You'll get him next time. 

 

 

**any, any, fanning the flames of hatred; Rip**

 

Genocidal immortal maniacs are easily bothered by petty insults. Who knew? 

 

 

**Any, any/any, 'I'll just put this over here with the rest of the fire.'; Jax and Mick; ignoring the pairing slash mark**

 

"I'll just put this over here with the rest of the fire, then."

"Sounds good to me, kid."

"That was sarcasm."

"Knew that, don't care. Less sarcasm, more burning. Chop chop."

 

 

**Any, Any, "S/He hasn't got the sense to pull her/his hand out of the fire."; Nate and Amaya**

 

"He hasn't got the sense to pull his hand out of the fire."

"Yes, he does. He just doesn't care."

"How can he not care?"

"Gideon says Mick has something called 'pyromania' and that it means he's uncontrollably drawn to fire. It's not his fault. C'mon, let's get him out of there."

 

 

**Any, any, _The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives._  -Albert Einstein; Stein**

 

One of the memories you've recently gained of Lily is from when she was a little kid - about four or five. You'd been talking about what happens when Mentos pellets were put into diet cola. She'd asked for a demonstration, and, well...

Clarissa came home to a husband and daughter covered in soda and extra sticky. She'd joked about having two kids instead of one, kissed you, and picked Lily up to give her a bath. You'd gone to take a shower. 

 

 

**Any, any/any, _If music be the food of love, play on._  -William Shakespeare; Ray; Ray/Anna; potential first meeting**

 

You'd been dragged to the bar by some of your friends, who'd said you'd needed to get out and take a break. It's loud and dark and crowded, and after five minutes you're about to make an excuse to leave when a band starts playing. 

They're really good - especially the lead singer. She's swaying slightly to the music as she sings. You're so enraptured that when the band finishes playing you don't notice until one of your friends pokes you. 

They tease you about having a crush, but you deny it. Then the lead singer approaches your table and introduces herself. You trip over your words and babble endlessly - basically making a fool of yourself.

Instead of making fun of you, Anna (the lead singer) just chuckles and says that you're cute. You blush before blurting that you'd like to ask her out. She suggests coffee tomorrow and you say yes. 

The rest is history. 

 

 

**Author's Choice, Author's Choice, using food items (like cobbler, fish sticks, pizza) as an expletive.; Kendra**

 

There have been times in your past lives when you've had to get creative with your swearing. 

 

 

**Any, any, discussing the possible use of different foods as weapons; Sara**

 

There isn't much food out there that you couldn't kill a person with  _somehow_. 


	26. Chapter Twenty-Five

**any, any, it's amazing what a cat will do for you when you speak to it in classical Egyptian; Kendra**

 

You're bored one day, so you decide to practice what little Egyptian you remember from your first life on your cat. It's nothing special - just a bunch of random nouns. But when you say "cup", your cat runs off. A few seconds later she comes back carrying one in her mouth. 

It happens again with a paper plate when you say "plate". And a blanket gets dragged behind her after "blanket". Though you do get a bit of a glare for that one. 

You repeat everything in English, just to see what happens, and your cat just watches you calmly. The trick or spell or whatever only works with Egyptian apparently. You still don't understand  _why_ , but it's something. 

 

 

**Any, any, like soldiers they write letters to their loved ones in case they should die and each carries the other's letters with him/her; season 2 team**

 

_"...Just know that of everything I've done in my life, getting up the courage to talk to you and raising Lily with you are the two I'm most proud of..."_

_"...Take care of yourself, Lisa. Sorry I couldn't save Lenny..."_

_"...I don't want my sister or brother to find out via letter_ ,  _so could you please tell them? Please tell them that I got to help so many people and see so many amazing things and that I don't regret any of it. Well, most of it. Anyway, please tell them I love them - even Sydney…sorta - and that I'm sorry to be leaving them. And please tell Kendra..."_

_"...I'm so sorry, Dad. I'll tell Laurel you and Mom love her..."_

_"...and there's nothing you could've done. Grey may've forced me onto this ship in the first place, but I'm the one that chose to stay..."_

_"...I love you, Mom. And tell Dad that I know what really happened to Grandpa Henry. It's a lot more complicated than we all thought..."_

_"...If possible, enclosed is our village's amulet for another warrior of Zambezi to use..."_

_"...Dying isn't a fate I look forward to, but if it means seeing you and Jonas again..."_

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, with the fate of a nation in your hands, you hold onto what you have yearned for and let the city burn (Diane Lockward); Rip**

 

Telling Kendra that the Waverider has the capacity to de-brainwash Carter isn't  _completely_  a lie - it's not entirely the truth either. You're not sure you care, though. The... _misdirection_  means that she kills Savage then and there instead of bringing him onboard the ship. And it means Miranda and Jonas get to live. It also means that Kendra glares daggers at you once she learns of the truth behind your words. The Oculus never gets destroyed and your team doesn't stay. 

But when you engulf Miranda and Jonas in a hug later, you can't seem to bring yourself to care. 

 

 

**Author's choice; author's choice; _I want matches in case I have to suddenly burn._ ; Mick; slightly off prompt; hints at Snart/Mick, Ray/Mick, and Amaya/Mick**

 

You can still remember the first time you held a match - four years old and struggling to figure out how to make the pretty flame appear. When you figure out the trick at age six, there isn't a single second in the next ten years that you don't have at least one match in your pocket. The streak's broken in juvie. 

You go absolutely stir crazy without any matches. Lighters are better in terms of flame size, but matches are practically a comfort object by this point. After you rescue Len and he gets out of the infirmary, he steals you some. That's when you know you're never going to let him go. 

 _Him_  letting  _you_  go on the other hand... Well, that's almost inevitable. It doesn't happen too often, but every time it does you run out of matches every few days. You're too used to Len magically sensing when you need some and slipping them into your pockets.

Thankfully, while Hunter gets into a snit whenever you try lighting a match, he never tells Gideon to stop making them for you or Len. The future has all kinds of options for fancy kinds of matches - scented, different color flames, impossible to blow out - but you stick with the tried and true originals. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 

You start going crazy after you run out of matches. As Chronos, you don't care. You pick one up at one point during a mission and stare at it for a bit before putting it back. 

After the Oculus you find a pack of matches tucked into your pocket alongside Len's ring. Must've slipped them both on you after knocking you out. You never use any of those matches. 

Haircut starts bringing you matches once he goes back to that whole "partners" thing. You're not sure how or when he picked up that you carry them around, but you don't really care either. And you're never telling him you really appreciate it. 

Amaya joins the match-giving sometime after Chicago. You know how  _she_  knows - you'd mentioned it off-handedly - but you don't know  _why_. She doesn't do it as frequently as Haircut, but she still does it fairly often. You're not telling her that you appreciate it either. 

Len punches you in World War One and walks away. You stick your hand in your pocket as a reflex and find a vintage matchbox. It really is him. 

 

 

**Author's choice; author's choice; _I've been cold so I go throw my flesh to your coals._ ; Snart; pre-Snart/Mick**

 

It's not cuddling - you're just using Mick as a living space heater, that's all. He's warm, you're cold. Nothing else to it. 

 

 

**Any, any, warm cloud of breath against a frozen night sky; Stein**

 

It might be so cold that you can see your breath, but going outside is worth it to see the stars. 

 

 

**Any, any, unfortunately sharing body heat while trapped in a small space; Jax**

 

This is the most awkward thing you've ever had to do with Grey. But it's either this or get killed, because this place is far too flammable to become Firestorm instead of hide. 

 

 

**author's choice, AC/AC, They were happy to be the hero then the universe made a mistake and killed the one they loved.; E-66 Ray; E-66 Ray/Anna; slight twist on the prompt; violence warning; somewhen during Arrow**

 

They _torture_ Anna. On another Earth her death is quick and easy with a snap of the neck. On this one, however, the Mirakuru soldiers break her legs and then her arms and then her fingers before almost mercifully going for her neck. If your legs hadn't been broken, you might've even been able to kill them all then and there. 

You become the ATOM to avenge Anna's death. You've realized that if those soldiers still have their super strength, there's no way conventional methods will be able to stop them. So you build a super suit. It can fly and shoot lasers and shrink and grow - the geeky side of you is  _so_  excited under all the layers of grief and anger. That side even shows on the surface sometimes, though it's for less and less time every day. 

Finding the men who tortured and killed Anna takes nearly a year. And if you almost drive the newly-dubbed PalmerTech into the ground in the meantime, it's worth it. Queen tries staging a takeover, but you bury him in perjuries and accusations - you feel bad about it, but you don't have time to stop him the legal and morally right way. The sooner you avenge Anna, the sooner you can (hopefully) move on. Maybe all this anger and pain will go away then. 

You eventually find the men who did it. Turns out they were mind-controlled  _and_  drugged the day of the Siege. Though none of them really regret what they did - if anything they're  _glad_  about it with the way they taunt you and tease you about your grief, mocking you with retellings of Anna's death. You see red. When you come to, all of the men are dead from excessive laser blasts. And a deep dark part of you is  _glad_. 

The anger and pain don't go away. They actually seem to get  _worse_ , especially with the guilt over killing those men added in. You need something to distract yourself, so you start searching for whoever provided those men with the drugs and the brainwashing in the first place. Along the way you find out that killing Anna was far from the only horrible thing they'd done. You convince yourself that in killing those men you not only avenged Anna, but saved more people from her fate - and the guilt begins to ease. 

The man behind the men is apparently Slade Wilson. He used to be a good man, but something went wrong along the way and now he's just as bad as the men that killed Anna. There's only a twinge of guilt after you kill him. Less people can be hurt now - really, why  _should_  you feel bad about it? 

It's almost easy to escalate from there. You track down all of the other former Mirakuru soldiers. If they had a violent past and don't regret what they did, you kill them. The regretful ones get evidence piled on them until the police have no choice but to send them to jail. And the few who don't fit in either category get to go free, though with the caveat of constant surveillance. Just in case. 

With that threat extinguished, you look for others to protect your city from. You're doing it to help people and you're only killing the bad guys - which makes your actions right. Right? 

You build autonomous versions of your suit. They're not as strong and not as smart (not yet at least), but they'll be able to protect the parts of the city you can't. And they don't need to sleep, so they can protect  _when_  you can't as well. 

Soon enough all of Star City is under your protection. No crime can occur without it promptly being stopped. No one can get hurt or killed or anything of the sort - at least not on purpose. No one else will  _ever_  have to suffer Anna's fate. Not again.  _Never_  again. 

The thought that Anna might not have wanted this - that she might have believed you're going too far - crops up every now and then. You shove it down every single time. You're keeping people from getting hurt - how can there be anything wrong with that?

But despite everything you've done and all the people you've helped, the anger and pain from Anna's death still hasn't gone away. And it never will. Not on this Earth, anyway. 

 

 

**any, any +/ any, grieving the loss of a pet; Sara**

 

You're six the first time a pet dies. It's your cat Melody, who your dad got for your mom long before either you or Laurel were born. Your mom gets you a stuffed cat that looks a lot like Melody. 

You still have it with you when you come onboard the Waverider. 

 

 

**Any, Any, "And they say I'm the weird one."; dialogue prompt; Nate and Amaya**

 

"And they say  _I'm_  the weird one."

"I'm sorry?"

"Ray's practically chomping at the bit to get to dress up as Han Solo for our mission, and  _I'm_  weird for wanting to wear my Indiana Jones costume?"

"Nathaniel, you wanted to wear it just because we were at an archeological dig site. I don't completely understand what "ComicCon" is, but apparently dressing up as fictional characters is normal there."

"Ugh, fine. You win." 


	27. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you don't remember reading a snippet about E-66 Ray's descent into villainy, check out the last chapter. There were some issues regarding AO3 sending out new chapter alert emails.

**Any, any, "Having fun yet?"; dialogue prompt; Sara and Rip; hints at Rip/Sara**

 

"Having fun yet?"

"No."

"How 'bout now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"For  _the last time_ , Ms. Lance, I'm not having fun!" 

"But you're in the happiest place on Earth!"

"Obviously not, or I'd be happy right now."

"What do you even have against Disney World, anyway?" 

"Just not a fan of loud and hot and packed to the gills."

"This is nothing. January's a fairly slow time for them. You want loud and hot and packed to the gills, you go in summer."

"If this is nothing, I'd hate to see that."

"Few more hours and then it's the closing fireworks."

"Those any good?"

"Best ever. No other fireworks show compares."

"Guess I can stay for that, then."

"Good. C'mon, I want to meet Cinderella."

 

 

**Author's choice; author's choice; "Look, it's _Sunday_. We're  _supposed_  to stay in bed and contribute nothing of any real value to society."; Mick and Snart; Snart/Mick**

 

"Look, it's  _Sunday_. We're  _supposed_  to stay in bed and contribute nothing of any real value to society."

"We never contribute anything to society, anyway. We  _steal_."

"'S a threat - keeps 'em vigilant."

"Good point."

"’nks. But back to my original point - come back to bed, Lenny. Be lazy for _once_ in your goddamn life. You can work on the heist tomorrow. Please?"

"...Okay, fine. Can we watch The Force Awakens again?"

"Sure."

 

 

**Author's choice; author's choice; "Cats, man. Fucking furry little sociopaths."; Nate and Stein**

 

"Cats, man. Fucking furry little sociopaths."

"I think you're a bit drunk, Dr. Heywood. Maybe you should lay off the beer."

"Nah, I'm fine. But - but cats, man. They want to go out and then want to go in and then they want out again! They show you their tummy, but nine times out of ten they don't want to be petted. Oh no! They'll just shred your hands to bits! Even though it's the  _exact opposite_  with dogs. What gives?"

"You just have to learn how to read them. And I really think you should stop drinking. Maybe even head to bed. You can rant about cats more in the morning."

"I - I think you gotta point, Marty."

"Why does everyone  _insist_  on calling me that?" 

"See ya tomorrow!"

 

 

**Author's choice, any/any, "I was dead at the time!"; Kendra and Amaya; they pretty much just met**

 

"I was dead at the time!"

"...I'm sorry,  _what_?" 

"Every time I die, I reincarnate into a new body and a new life. Sometimes it takes me a bit longer to get from the dying part to the being reincarnated part. Like in that case."

"Oh, okay then. I suppose that's a good enough reason. I apologize."

"It's okay."

 

 

**any, any, when it rains it pours; Jax**

 

There's a freak storm out of nowhere one time when you and Grey are merged into Firestorm. It doesn't put out the flames, but the constant  _hiss_  of the drops hitting them gets really annoying really quick. 

 

 

**any, any, when he said fly me to the moon he didn't expect to be taken literally.; Ray; during Moonshot**

 

You've always loved that old Sinatra song. Never expected it to become a reflection of reality. But standing here on the moon, looking at the far away Earth, you're glad that it has. 


	28. Chapter Twenty-Seven

**Any, any, five ways s/he might have died, and one way s/he did; Ray**

 

1: You almost went with your parents on that late-night car ride.

 

2: A college experiment that just barely wasn't lethal.

 

3: Alongside Anna during the Siege. 

 

4: You came so close to being actual dead instead of almost dead when testing the ATOM suit's shrinking ability.

 

5: If Mick and Nate had shown up any later, that dinosaur would've gotten you. 

 

+1: Having your heart literally ripped out of your chest by Thawne. 

 

 

**any, any telepath, five times mind reading made their lives better and one time it made them worse; Snart; AU where he became a metahuman; Snart/Mick**

 

1: Easier to tell where to shoot the cold gun if you can read the Flash's mind to find him. 

 

2: Can find out if someone on your crew's about to betray you or do something similarly stupid. 

 

3: Dear old Dad was terrified when he died. Good. 

 

4: So Mick's in the cell at the end and not too badly hurt. Raymond's not doing too great, though. 

 

5: He's still Mick. The brainwashing didn't turn him back into Chronos. 

 

+1: Mick loves you. Sara's dragging him away and you're going to die and he'll never know that you feel the same. You'll never get the chance to tell him. 

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, intrigue at court; Kendra; Ray/Anna/Kendra; Medieval AU**

 

They say the queen's gone crazy with her talk of other lives and wings and extreme strength. They say that's why she's entertaining the idea of a courtship with the king and queen of the next kingdom over. They say that's why she banned Duke Savage from the kingdom out of the blue. 

You know the truth. You're not crazy - you recently remembered that you reincarnate, that you have wings to fly with, and that you can lift a table with one hand if need be. You really like King Raymond ("call me 'Ray'") and Queen Annalise ("and 'Anna' is fine with me"), plus if the relationship goes somewhere it could make for a good alliance for your kingdoms. You finally realized how much of a jerk Duke Savage is and remembered everything he's ever done to you. 

Your life has changed, hopefully for the better, and if the cost of that is a little gossip - it's worth it. 

 

 

**any, any, Pirates? Seriously?; Jax; written pre-pirates episode**

 

Time Pirates are one thing. Actual, sailing-the-sea-yo-ho-ho-and-a-bottle-of-rum pirates are another entirely. 

 

 

**Any, male/male, Christmas; 6 words only; Mick; Ray/Mick**

 

Rat actually was a nice gift. 

 

 

**Any, any, alone; 6 words only; Rip**

 

You have never been anything but. 

 

 

**Any, any, nightmares; 6 words only; Sara**

 

Queen's Gambit is just the start. 

 

 

**Any, any/any, shall we dance?; 6 words only; Stein**

 

Clarissa suggests it when you stress. 

 

 

**Any, any/any, sweetest of dreams; 6 words only; Nate; Nate/Amaya**

 

You  _both_  can live in 1942. 

 

 

**Any, any/any, out of harm's way; Amaya**

 

The Spear can save your family. 

 

XxXx

 

 

**Any, any, sometimes it's hard to be a twin; 6 words only; Ray**

 

Look the same, yet act differently

 

 

**Any, any/any, lullabies; 6 words only; Stein**

 

You sing to Lily every night. 

 

 

**Any, any, the end; 6 words only; Snart**

 

_Mick, look after yourself and Lisa._

 

 

**Any, any, not again; 6 words only; Mick; implied Mick/Ray**

 

You can't lose another partner already. 

 

 

**Any, any/any, realizing the other loves them; 6 words only; Rip/Sara; Rip and Sara**

 

"You can't -"

"Better me than you."

 

 

**Any, any, space; 6 words only; Nate; post-Moonshot**

 

You're so scared of space now.

 

 

**Any, any, favorite food; 6 words only; Kendra**

 

Something that changes with every lifetime.

 

 

**Any, any, finding something hidden; 6 words only; Amaya**

 

Your future shouldn't be a secret. 

 

 

**Any, any, painting; 6 words only; Jax**

 

A secret talent not many know. 


	29. Chapter Twenty-Eight

**Author’s choice, any, I look a little bit older, I look a little bit colder.; Mick; slight Snart/Mick; some language; assumes that Mick's family died _after_ he and Snart met in juvie**

 

You don't find Len again until a couple of months after you get out of juvie. For someone with a name like "Leonard Snart", he was surprisingly hard to find. But here you are on his doorstep, knocking on his door and shuffling your feet in a way that you'll deny is because of nerves. 

Len opens the door after a couple seconds. He's still tiny, though he's starting to grow into his cheekbones. His eyes are just as startlingly blue as you remember them. 

A little girl's voice calls out a question that Len answers promptly - must be that sister of his that he's so besotted with. Kid wouldn't shut up about Lisa back in juvie. Len turns back to you. 

He's colder than he was a year ago. Len's stance is tighter, his eyes harder and calculating. One hand's on the door, while the other's holding something behind his back. Probably a weapon. 

Christ, what happened to him? Len'd been guarded and careful from the moment you'd met him, but he'd softened around you some. For him, at least. And he'd never been this bad. 

Did something happen to him? While Len had never said anything outright, he'd said enough for you to get the message that his dad's an abusive asshole. Your anger flares at the thought of him hurting Len. Or - as Len looks back at his sister again - maybe he'd hurt Lisa. Way he talked about her, he'd be devastated if something happened to her. 

You think of how she should be around Hannah's age, if you remember what Len said right, and your anger flares up again. No kid should be hurt by anyone, but especially not ones that young. Ones too young to realize they don't deserve it. 

Len's staring you down, silently asking for an explanation. So you open your mouth and start to finally give him one. 

 

 

**Author’s choice; any; go home, girl; Sara**

 

The villain of the week snarls at you to go home and it strikes a nerve. You don't realize it though until much later - when you're staring at a photo of you, your parents, and Laurel and the words are still ringing in your ears. 

You can't go home. Not really. Laurel's dead, and everyone has changed far too much for that to happen. You don't think you could stay still now even for it, what with all the nonstop time travel. 

Home's gone. There's nowhere for you to go back to. 

 

 

**Any, Any, "So for movie night I got____." "Why? You hate that movie." "Yeah, but _you_  love it."; Nate and Ray; Nate/Ray**

 

"So for movie night I got Hello Dolly."

"Why? You hate that movie." 

"Yeah, but  _you_  love it."

"That doesn't mean we have to watch it. I don't want you to force yourself to sit through it. I -"

"It's fine, Ray. I'll be fine - it's your birthday, we should watch one of your favorites."

"I have a lot of other favorites that you  _don't_  hate."

"But you were just saying the other day how you really wanted to see this one again. Really, Ray, it's _fine_."

"If you're sure..."

"I'm sure. C'mon, let's get started."

 

 

**Any, Any, Give me a name...; Rip**

 

You got Mr. Rory for Secret Santa.  _This_  should be interesting...

 

 

**Author's choice, author's choice, "This is what _I_  do for a living."; Ray and Sydney**

 

"This is what  _I_  do for a living."

"I thought you invented silly trinkets for a living."

"They're not silly trinkets, they're - whatever. Not having  _that_  argument again. I used to do that, yeah, but now I help fix aberrations in time. Putting history right when others put it wrong - on purpose or accident."

"You? Help fix history? Yeah, right. What can you even do to help? Make them laugh when something of yours inevitably explodes?"

"No, I -"

"You  _what_?"

"I use my ATOM suit. Yes, I'm the ATOM. I built the suit - with help - and I fly it. And I use it to stop bad guys and save my friends. I'm a  _hero_ , Sydney. What the hell do  _you_  do besides insult people?" 

"..."

"I don't care. Goodbye, Sydney. Please tell Ashley that I'm sorry I missed her."

 

 

**Any, any, "I said sweet, not _sweat_."; Stein and Jax**

 

"I said sweet, not  _sweat_."

"Okay, that makes a  _lot_  more sense. Was wondering how chocolate could be too sweaty."

"That does call to mind a rather...unpleasant image, doesn't it?"

"Ugh, yeah. Yeah, it totally does. Anyway, I'll tell my mom you said thanks but no thanks to the triple chocolate brownies, then?"

"I'd word it a bit differently, but essentially yes."

"Got it."

 

 

**Any, Any, One day I'll learn to love these scars...; Snart; abuse reference warning; autistic! Snart; Snart/Mick**

 

Your body is littered with scars. Most of them from dear old Dad with the rest got picked up over the years from heists and bar fights and prison stays. They're ugly, and an ever-present reminder of the horrors you've survived. 

So you cover them up with long sleeves and pants. You don't wear them just for that though - they keep you warm and they're a pretty good pressure stim. People never ask, thankfully. Either they just think you're eccentric or they don't care. And once you're Captain Cold it becomes part of your shtick. 

Lisa's got similar scars, though a lot less of them. She doesn't care or judge or anything. But that's not too surprising. 

What's surprising is that Mick doesn't judge either, even before he gains burn-related ones of his own. And while he cares, it's only in the sense that he wants to burn everyone that inflicted them. He doesn't think they're ugly, he doesn't think you're  _less_  because of them - he'd love you the same if you didn't have them as he does when you do. 

In fact, Mick once said that while he hates that you got them, he thinks you're all the stronger for having them. "Means you took all that shit from them and kept on goin'," he said once. 

Maybe one day you can come around to his point of view...

 

 

**Any, any +/ any, "It's not that I don't like it, it's just so...so..." "Pink?" " _Fuzzy_."; Amaya, then Kendra; Amaya/Kendra **

 

"It's not that I don't like it, it's just so...so..."

"Pink?"

" _Fuzzy_."

"Is that a bad thing? I can get you something else if you -"

"No, it's fine. It'll take some getting used to, but that's not a bad thing. Expand my comfort zone."

"Okay. Good. I love you."

"Love you, too."


	30. Chapter Twenty-Nine

**Any, Any, S/He has a whole collection of shirts each belonging to someone different that s/he loves.; Sara; changing shirts to various articles of clothing**

 

You've got a tie of Dad's somewhere, from when you were a kid and pretended to be a cop like him. Mom's given you a few pieces of jewelry over the years. You "stole" a matching sweatshirt and sweatpants set from Laurel once that you never gave back - and  _can't_  ever give back now. 

You borrowed a hoodie from Oliver back when you were still a thing. Felicity gave you a few pairs of earrings that she hadn't worn in forever. Diggle'd passed on a watch, Thea some bracelets, and Roy gave you an old pair of sunglasses. 

You've still got one of Nyssa's coats in your closet. 

You stole some slippers from Rip not too long ago. Kendra gave you a scarf of hers that you'd really liked, and Jax let you permanently borrow a pair of fuzzy socks that he'd never worn. Stein's got surprisingly good taste in ties, so you'd stolen one for a mission and never given it back. 

You've been using one of Ray's old shirts for a pajama top and a pair of Mick's sweatpants for the bottoms. You'd asked Mick before going into Snart's old room and taking a long-sleeved shirt. Amaya gives you a dress she wears for a mission and doesn't care about keeping. And you steal a t-shirt from Nate as revenge for blaring music in the middle of the night. 

A good chunk of your wardrobe is made up of clothing originally owned by someone else - it helps you feel close to them. 

 

 

**Any, any, s/he had been such a strange child; Rip**

 

Growing up on the streets doesn't exactly lend one's childhood a sense of normality. But, you wouldn't be you without it. 

 

 

**any, any, "Pointless murder is all what war is about!"; Mick and Snart; Medieval AU; hint of Snart/Mick**

 

"Pointless murder is all what war is about!"

"Not in this war, I'm afraid. If we're going to win this one, we have to be more careful about who gets killed when. The next time we go to war I'll let you kill anyone on the other side that you'd like. Sound fair?"

"...Fine. If you say so, King Cold."

"I'm going to regret letting Seer Ramon spread that nickname around, aren't I?"

"Probably. Too bad for you I actually  _like_  the sound of Sir Heatwave. See you 'round, then."

"Goodbye. ...I prefer the sound of _King_ Heatwave myself, though."

 

 

**Any, any, _I've no excuse to be stuck here turning// Like a mirror on a string, // Except it's hardly credible how // It all keeps changing. // Loss has a wider choice of directions// Than the other thing_  (from ** [ **Nails** ](http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/236620) **by W.S. Merwin; Ray; 5 ways his life could've gone after Anna's death + the 1 way it did; major character death warning for 2; referenced Ray/Anna**

 

1: You start a charity for all of the victims of the Mirakuru attack and their families. It's a lot more work than you'd expected, but it's rewarding. Your previous plans of avenging Anna's death via supersuit flit through your mind occasionally, but you always dismiss them. The charity lets you help people and keeps you from getting hurt - two reasons that it would've made Anna happy. 

 

2: You push yourself too much and too hard building the ATOM suit. Your apartment gets blown up due to a simple mistake you wouldn't have made if you'd gotten more -  _any_ , really - sleep. Felicity only gets a few cuts and bruises, the city mourns, and the Legends fail. 

 

3: Instead of a supersuit you decide to try and build a time machine. No need to avenge Anna's death if it never happened, right?

It works on the small test jumps you do first - five minutes, five hours, five days - but you run into a complication the night you plan to go back to save Anna. An Englishman in a long coat that looks a lot like Rory Williams shows up right as you're about to get in the time machine. There's a flash of light. Next thing you know you're waking up on a rooftop with a massive headache.

 

4: You work on creating an AI identical to Anna. It's a bit obsessive and definitely skipping past "acceptance" in the five stages of grief, but it'd be a massive scientific breakthrough and a way of having Anna by your side if it works. 

Good news - you're able to create a sentient AI before a decade passes. Bad news - you're never able to create one that acts like Anna. 

 

5: You drop off the grid after Anna dies. No one ever knows what happens to you. 

 

+1: You buy Queen Consolidated to get access to the future ATOM suit. You hire Felicity and she helps keep you from blowing yourself up - for the most part. You get recruited by Rip to help stop Savage. 

And the rest is history. And the present. And the future. 

Time travel is complicated.

 

 

**Any, Any, duck duck goose; Jax**

 

It's Sara's idea, and half the ship gets destroyed before the game is over. Thankfully Ray and Nate volunteer to help you fix things up. 

 

 

**Any, Any, soup or salad?; Nate**

 

You've never been to a restaurant this fancy before, and you're not sure if either the soup or the salad is going to be any good. Soup's generally better in more down-to-earth restaurants, but here - who knows? 

You go with salad on a whim. Fingers crossed you made the right choice. 

 

 

**Any, any, _War does not decide who is right; war decides who is left..._ ; Stein**

 

You've never fought in a war - age and health problems and a disinterest in enlisting have prevented that from happening. But you  _have_  lived long enough to see several wars come and go. War is  _never_  a matter of right or wrong, not from your perspective. There's a winner who gets to stand tall and a loser who doesn't - one is left, while the other is in shambles. It isn't pretty, or glorious, or anything of the sort. It's horrible, plain and simple. 

 

 

**Any, any/any, deciding not to keep the baby; Amaya**

 

Maybe your daughter will have a happier life if she grows up far away from Zambezi...

 

 

**authors choice, any, the decision to walk away wasn't an easy one; Kendra**

 

Deciding to leave the Waverider - leave  _Ray_  - is one of the hardest decisions you've ever had to make. But it's a necessary one. 


	31. Chapter Thirty

**Any, any, _Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever sunlight remains to them?_  (Rose Kennedy); Mick; implied Snart/Mick**

 

The team has a half party to celebrate Savage's defeat, half wake to mourn Len's death, shortly after you get back to 2016. You suggest Saints and Sinners, given that it is -  _was_  - your and Len's favorite bar. Everyone else agrees, and you kick all the other patrons out when you get there. 

Everyone makes a toast and drinks them together, before spreading out. Kendra turns on the jukebox and drags Carter out to dance. Jax follows, not eager to sit still. Stein corners Rip at a table near the back, so they can talk about nerd stuff, probably. You and Sara stay at the bar and drink. Ray plops down on the bar stool next to you and watches you both with concern in his eyes. 

You try to drink the pain of losing Leonard away, but you never succeed in doing anything except passing out on the bar countertop.

 

 

**Any, Any/Any, "Are you _flirting_  with me?"; Amaya and Snart; referenced established Snart/Mick, established Amaya/Mick, and pre-Amaya/Snart/Mick**

 

"Are you  _flirting_  with me?"

"Have been pretty much since I came back from the supposed dead, but thanks for finally noticing."

"Aren't you with Mick?"

"Says the one who's  _also_  with Mick."

"What I meant was - you're with Mick, but you've never  _seemed_  interested in anyone else. So I thought you were  _only_  with him."

"For now. Depends on how you feel about  _us_  being together as well. We'll talk with Mick about it, of course, but what do you think?"

"I'd be willing to try it, if you are."

"Of course I am. Now let's go get Mick."

 

 

**any, any, I'm only gonna break your heart; Sara**

 

Between you and Laurel you've broken your parents' hearts so many times you're surprised they still have them. 

 

 

**any, any, "Computers can smell fear."; Stein and Jax**

 

"Computers can smell fear."

"C'mon, Grey, that's ridiculous. You just gotta know how to use them, that's all."

"Really? Really? Than how do you explain  _this_ , Jefferson?" 

"..."

"..."

"Okay, maybe you got a point. Least when it comes to 23rd century computers. Let's see what I can do..."

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, the gun jams; Legion! Rip; AU set during his confrontation with Sara, Mick, and Washington**

 

Well.  _This_  is awkward. 

 

 

**Any, any, blue screen of death; Kendra**

 

If this happens any more times during your shift, you're going to quit and become a barista. 

 

 

**Author's Choice, Author's Choice, "Have you tried turning it off and on again?"; Nate and Ray**

 

"Have you tried turning it off and on again?"

" _Really_ , Nate?"

"I  _am_  supposed to be undercover as an IT guy, so..."

"Doesn't mean you have to go for the most cliché line in the book."

"It's a classic!"

"Whatever."


	32. Chapter Thirty-One

  **any, any, visions of myself are trying to kill me; Sara**

 

Fighting an evil version of yourself in Rip's mind - both hot and terrifying. 

 

 

**Author's Choice, Author's Choice, And you have cabbage on your head because...?; Stein and Rip**

 

"And you have cabbage on your head because...?"

"It's a custom in the current time period, Martin."

"You're sure?"

"Would I be doing it if I wasn't?"

"...Good point. I guess I'll see you in a bit, then."

"...Time to go tell Ms. Lance that I  _can_  play an April Fools Joke on someone,  _thank you very much_." 

 

 

**Author's choice, any/any/any, threesome!; Ray; Ray/Anna/Kendra; AU where Anna lived**

 

Well, this isn't what you'd expected would happen back when you'd first introduced Kendra to Anna. But you'd be lying if you said you didn't like either it or how it means all three of you might just have a future together. Who knows?

 

 

**Author's Choice, Author's Choice, tyrannosaurus; Mick**

 

Haircut once pissed off a dinosaur. You're actually surprised - you would've thought he'd have befriended the thing. If he can befriend you, he can do it with just about everything. 

 

 

**any, any, I’ve been left out alone like a damn criminal; Snart; AU where he betrayed the team to the Time Pirates instead of Mick**

 

You've been left out alone like a damn criminal. ...The fact that you  _are_  a damn criminal isn't relevant. What's relevant is that you were just trying to get you and Mick back home before he snapped, and instead he turned on you. Instead he picked the team over you. Instead he lets Rip drop you off just outside of Central -  _without him_. 

Which means that your plan was a complete and utter failure. 

So, without a ride, without Mick, and without any light but the moon to see by, you start making your way to Central. 

You don't even make it a mile before the Time Masters pick you up. 

 

 

**Author's Choice, Author's Choice, "When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be/ I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you/ When I go out yeah I know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you."/ -500 Miles by The Proclaimers; Nate; Nate/Amaya; inspired by the scene in the season 3 trailer where Nate brags about Amaya**

 

You're dating Amaya. You're  _dating_  Amaya.  _You're_  dating Amaya. You're dating  _Amaya_! 

You don't think you'll ever get used to this. Amaya's so far out of your league it's not even funny, but she chose to date you anyways. 

You get to share a bed with her, you get to kiss her, you get to go on dates with her - it's amazing and you don't know if you've ever been happier. 

 

 

**Any, any (except Crowley!), "...not so much fall as saunter vaguely downwards."; Jax; E-66**

 

It's a slow journey. Starts with resentment over how you can't ever play football again because of the particle accelerator explosion. You try to move past it, but it continues to fester. It gets worse and worse as time goes by and you can't get to college because of the lack of a football scholarship. As you watch all your friends drift away. As you head to your dead-end mechanics job every morning at the crack of dawn. 

Then you become half of Firestorm. And it all just goes downhill from there. 

 

 

**any, any, fall into me; Amaya; Nate/Amaya; set after Turncoat**

 

When people talked about falling in love, you hadn't thought they'd meant it literally. But your feelings for Nathaniel didn't make themselves known until you dove off a cliff to rescue him. 

 

 

**Any, any, remembering the fallen; Kendra**

 

You give yourself one or two days a year to remember the children you've lost. Any more than that and your grief might consume you. 


	33. Chapter Thirty-Two

**Any, any, _I don't need no one to knock me down / I'm on the ground / Can't get no lower_ ; Rip**

 

You've lost your wife and son. Things can't get much worse than this, can they? 

 

 

**Any, any, what happens in Rio stays in Rio; Snart; Snart/Mick; pre-Flash**

 

This is the first, last, and  _only_  time you're going to pull a heist during Carnival. Maybe even the last time you pull one in Rio period. It's a horrible place for a heist - at least, for your kind of a heist. 

 _But_ , you think as Mick wraps an arm around your waist while a team of dancers pass by,  _it's not a half-bad place for a honeymoon._  

 

 

**Author's Choice, Author's Choice, "I can't believe people pay good money to see something like 'The world's smallest horse' or 'the world's smallest woman'. I mean-- wait where are you going?!"; Mick and Ray; Mick/Ray**

 

"I can't believe people pay good money to see something like 'The world's smallest horse' or 'the world's smallest woman'. I mean-- wait where are you going?"

"To see the world's smallest horse, of course! ...Hey, that rhymed!"

"...Why."

"'Cause it'll be cute! And I want to know how small the world's smallest horse is."

"Those worth sneezing for a day?"

"Yep!"

"Why do I let you take me to these things?"

"You love me?"

"..."

"..."

"...Suppose so. And, I - um, I -"

"I know."

"Was that s'posed to be a Star Wars reference?"

"Maybe? ...C'mon! We should get to the horse soon if we're gonna also fit in that funnel cake of yours!"

"Whatever you say, Haircut."

 

 

**Author's Choice, Author's Choice, sometimes saying sorry isn't enough.; Kendra**

 

Rip apologizing for what happened isn't going to bring Aldus back. 

 

 

**Any, any, it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission; Jax**

 

What Rip doesn't know about the changes you made to the Waverider won't hurt him. 

 

 

**Any, any, _you can always run, but you can't always get away_ ; Sara**

 

No matter how far away you run from Laurel's death - geographically or temporally - you can never get away from your memories of her. 

 

 

**Author's Choice, Author' Choice, "When I was your age..."; Stein and Nate**

 

"When I was your age -"

"You rode a dinosaur to school uphill both ways?"

"No, that was my grandparents. Dinosaurs died out when my parents were kids.  _I_  rode a mammoth. But what I was  _trying_  to say was..."

 

 

**any, any, _A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness._  - Robert Frost; Amaya**

 

You've never been much of a writer, but your fingers begin to itch once you learn of Zambezi's fate. So the first time you get the chance you grab a piece of paper and start scribbling a poem down. It's awkward to start since you haven't written in your first language in nearly a year, but the finished product is still something you're proud of. 

And, though you don't know it yet, you've thrown a small pebble into the time stream. It's not a big change, but it's something. 


	34. Chapter Thirty-Three

**Any, any. " _The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast,/ Yet he cannot choose but hear;/ And thus spake on that ancient man,/ The bright-eyed Mariner._ / The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Coleridge.; Ray; minor characters deaths; references to various ships**

 

Here's how your life goes:

the ones you love

leave you

Without rhyme

Without reason

Without fail

 

Here's how your life goes:

You're orphaned at fourteen -

late night car ride gone wrong leaving

Just you,

your twin,

and your older sister

 

Here's how your life goes:

Your "friends" leave you behind

Your work doesn't 

So you work

And you work

And you work

 

Here's how your life goes:

You meet Anna, fall head over heels

You propose and she accepts

Then the Siege happens

Then Anna is killed

Then you're alone 

 

Here's how your life goes:

You meet Felicity, fall head over heels

You kiss her and feel guilty

Then you're happy together 

Then Felicity doesn't say it back

Then she chooses Oliver instead 

 

Here's how your life goes:

You meet Kendra, fall head over heels

You're cautious and propose anyway

Then Kendra accepts

Then Carter returns

Then you're alone  _again_

 

Here's how your life goes:

the ones you love

leave you

Without rhyme

Without reason 

Without fail

 

 

**Any, Any, All girls are born with wings./ They never tell you these things.; Kendra**

 

All girls are born with wings

They never tell you these things

All girls are born with wings

As beautiful and valuable as a diamond ring

All girls are born with wings

But here's the thing:

Not all girls can use them

 

 

**Author’s choice, author’s choice, I'm drinking coffee/ with four old men/ who knew my father/ and they think he was a fine man./ Sometimes they forget who I am/ and call me by his name.; Snart**

 

Every single time they refer

to Lewis

you flinch

But it's an unfortunate necessity - 

they have information 

you don't and

there's no other 

way to get it

So you sit with these men

who knew your father

And drink coffee so hot that

maybe its burning pain

can wipe the pain

of your memories 

away

 

 

**Any; Any; I look up at you with so much weary adoration./ Desire is an exhausting thing ("Conquest" Miriam M. Wynn); Nate; seemingly unrequited Nate/Ray**

 

It's  _exhausting_

Being in love with someone 

Who doesn't love you back

Who will never love you back

Especially when 

They're the super-friendly, touchy-feely, shower-their-friends-in-compliments kind

No matter how much you sleep

You can never quite get rid

Of the exhaustion caused

By unrequited love

 

 

**any; any; "Remember me, okay? This is all gonna change, but you've got to remember me."; Mick and Mia; AU where the Pilgrim kidnapped one of Mick's siblings when she went after the team's families**

 

"Remember me, okay? This is all gonna change, but you've got to remember me. And you gotta remember what I'm gonna say, too."

"Why should I? You're just one of the people who kidnapped me from the lady that kidnapped me in the first place!"

"Jus' gotta be difficult, don't ya? Fine, I'm Mick - your older brother, Mick - from the future. An' before you protest, remember that I'm the one that covered for you with Ma when you destroyed her lamp. Managed to convince her that, um, Lucky did it instead."

"Okay, that  _is_  something only Mickey'd know, but how'd you get to be so..."

"Old?"

"Was gonna be polite and say "refined", but yeah."

"Like I said, I'm from the future. Time travel an' shit - for me it's been almost thirty years."

"So me an' Mandy are over forty. ...Weird."

"...Yeah. Anyway, you ready to listen to me yet?"

"Sure - go!"

"Okay. So whatever you do, don't be in the house on September 9th, okay? Run away for the night, schedule a sleepover, I don't care. Jus' be sure you an' as many of the others as you can aren't there that night."

"Why?"

"..."

"Mickey, c'mon - why can't we be in the house?"

"..."

"You're starting to scare me, here."

"...I can't tell you. Breakin' enough time traveling rules as it is. Jus' do it, Mia,  _please_."

"I-I'll do my best, I promise."

"Good. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now show me 'round this time ship of yours, 'kay?"

 

 

**Any, Any, insomnia; Rip**

 

You can't remember the last time you had a decent night's sleep - sometime while Miranda and Jonas were still alive is all you can narrow it down to. 

 

 

**Any, Any, forced holiday cheer; Sara**

 

You've never been much of a fan of Valentines' Day - it commercializes love, arbitrarily decides on one day to celebrate said love... The only thing it's good for is the way candy goes on sale for dirt cheap the day after.

 

 

**Any, any, "I didn't mean it literally!"; Jax and Stein**

 

"I didn't mean it literally, Grey!"

"Then you should've been more specific."

"Thought you would've picked up on what I meant from our psychic connection, not just turned Ray's tools into gummy bears! Now we gotta buy him a whole new set!"

"...Oh. How unfortunate."

 

 

**Any, any, abandon hope all ye who enter here; Amaya**

 

You're not going to let an admittedly spooky sign deter you from your mission, and you're definitely not going to let it tell you what to do. 


	35. Chapter Thirty-Four

**Any, any, an appetite like a wolf; Nate**

 

Does Mick  _ever_  stop eating?

 

 

**Any, Any, Reality is an enemy; Rip**

 

You only get to see your family again in dreams. 

 

 

**Any, Any, S/He is the sun of my sky; Mick; Snart/Mick**

 

It's mushy and a cliché, but you've always thought of Len as the sun of your sky - a better fire than any other out there and the one that always lit your way. Now that he's gone, now that your sun has died, you can't see anything but darkness. 

 

 

**Any, any, lonely.; 6 words only; Ray**

 

It's an all too common feeling. 

 

 

**Any, any, guilty; 6 words only; Snart**

 

Sleeping easy after killing your father. 

 

 

**Any, any, _love it raw, til tender is far too fierce for us_ ; 6 words only; Sara; Sara/Nyssa**

 

Loving Nyssa - hard, but worth it. 

 

 

**Any, any/any, anniversary; 6 words only; Stein; Martin/Clarissa**

 

Hard to remember while time traveling. 

 

 

**Any, any, perfect; 6 words only; Jax**

 

Nothing is, but lots come close. 

 

 

**Any, any, magic; 6 words only; Kendra**

 

The feeling of wind rushing by. 

 

 

**Any, any, last Christmas; 6 words only; Amaya; Amaya/Rex**

 

Rex kissed you under the mistletoe. 

 

 

XxXx

 

 

**Any, any/any, give us a baby; 6 words only; Rip; implied Rip/Miranda and Rip/Jonah**

 

You ask to name him Jonas. 

 

 

**Any, any, his bargain with God; 6 words only; Mick; implied Snart/Mick**

 

You'll do  _anything_  for Len's return.

 

 

**Any, any, dirty dishes; 6 words only; Ray**

 

Good thing there's a chore wheel!

 

 

**Any, Any, Grocery shopping.; 6 words only; Stein**

 

Mr. Rory shouldn't do it again. 

 

 

**Any, any, dancing; 6 words only; Kendra; E-36; E-36 Kendra/Anna**

 

Anna's swept you off your feet. 

 

 

**Any, any, romance is overrated; 6 words only; aro-spec! Snart**

 

Romance makes people do stupid things. 

 

 

**Any, any, stars; 6 words only; Nate; spot the reference**

 

"...Are not in position for this tribute."

 

 

**Any, any, forgiveness; 6 words only; Sara**

 

It's the hardest thing to earn. 

 

 

**Any, any/any/any, share; 6 words only; Amaya; Amaya/Snart/Mick**

 

Hard to adjust, but worth it. 

 

 

**Any, any, the end; 6 words only; Jax; Stein died 'verse**

 

You can't believe it actually happened. 


	36. Chapter Thirty-Five

**Any, any dead person/any, reunion; 6 words only; Mick; Snart/Mick**

 

He's real. He's alive and  _real_.

 

 

**Any, any, puppy; 6 words only; Ray**

 

So cute, but so much sneezing.

 

 

**Any, any, target; 6 words only; Sara**

 

You can hit anything any time.

 

 

**Any, any, family; 6 words only; Snart**

 

It's been you, Mick, and Lisa.

 

 

**Any, any, revenge; 6 words only; Jax**

 

You win every single prank war.

 

 

**Any, any/any/any, it worked for a while; Amaya; Amaya/Snart/Mick**

 

You had to go home eventually.

 

 

**Any, any/any, flirt; 6 words only; Sara; Rip/Sara**

 

It's good that you like tea.

 

 

**Any, any, hands; 6 words only; Rip; Rip/Sara**

 

Hers are lithe, yet so strong.

 

 

**Any, any, longing; 6 words only; Nate; during his childhood**

 

You want to go and play.

 

 

**Any, any, memories; 6 words only; Kendra**

 

So many from so many lives.

 

 

**Any, any, missing you; 6 words only; Stein; Martin/Clarissa**

 

You haven't seen her in ages.

 

 

XxXx

 

 

**Any, any, respect; 6 words only; Rip**

 

So much for respecting the captain.

 

 

**Any, any, make a wish; 6 words only; Amaya; possible Fellowship of the Spear AU**

 

"I want my village to thrive."

 

 

**Any, any, laughter; 6 words only; Jax**

 

Who’d think a supervillain’d be funny?

 

 

**Any, any/any, accidentally in love; 6 words only; Snart and Kendra; Snart/Kendra**

 

“...I love you.”

“Okay. ...Wait,  _what_?”

 

 

**Any, any/any/any, longing; 6 words only; Ray; Snart/Ray/Mick**

 

There’s no way they’ll notice you.

 

 

**Author's choice, any, _are you scared yet?_ ; 6 words only; Stein and Nate**

 

“Zombies -”

“- and bees!”

“Astonishing!”

“Or scary.”

 

 

**Author's choice, any, _stop doing that_!; 6 words only; Sara and Mick**

 

“Stop drinking, Mick!”

“Not just yet.”


	37. Chapter Thirty-Six

**Any, any, _you better run, better run/faster than my bullet_ ; 3 sentences only; Snart; implied Snart/Mick; Chronos! Snart ’verse**

 

No matter what you do, you can’t seem to hit anyone on Hunter’s team - especially Rory. The rest you can graze at best and fire a warning shot at worst, but you can’t seem to even shoot in Rory’s direction. There must have been a few holes in the Time Masters’ reconditioning program.

 

 

**any, any/any, "You're a mess. A big, naked, bleeding mess."; 3 sentences only (aside from the prompt); Nate and Mick; Nate/Mick**

 

“You're a mess. A big, naked, bleeding mess.”

“‘Least I’m a  _living_  big, naked, bleeding mess.”

“Yeah, that mission was a close one, wasn’t it?”

“Don’t worry Pretty - I don’t plan on dying anytime soon.”

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, _your voice was all I heard / that I get what I deserve_ ; 3 sentences only; off-prompt due to misreading it; Ray; Ray/Anna**

 

You’re not allowed off the Waverider for this mission, given that it takes place in Star City less than a week before Anna dies. Sara bumps into Anna at one point, and it’s  _so hard_  listening to her voice over the comms. But you failed Anna - will fail Anna - so, really, being haunted by her ghost is no less than you deserve.

 

 

**Any, any(/any), two truths and a lie (as in the game); 3 sentences only; Rip; implied/referenced misc. ships**

 

  1. You love(d) Miranda and Jonah equally.
  2. You can’t imagine being anything but a Time Master.
  3. You’re a not-so-secret cat person.



 

 

**Any, any, even in duress, a gentleman helps a lady out of the car; 3 sentences only; Anna; Ray/Anna**

 

Men in masks are running around causing chaos, and Ray insists on running around the car to open the door for you. You love the man, but this is one of the times you could’ve done it yourself.

(Maybe those extra few seconds could’ve let you get to safety in time.)

 

 

**Any, any + alt!any, genderbending; Jax and E-9! Jax; slight language**

 

“So, you’re...me?”

“If by ‘me’ you mean the  _non_ -old, white, scholarly half of Firestorm, then yeah. Jennifer Jackson - Jax for short.”

“Jefferson Jackson - also Jax for short.”

“Is it still ‘great minds think alike’ if we’re the same person, but in different universes?”

“Eh, why not? Shit’s crazy enough as it is - don’t really have time to quibble about it.”

“True. Speaking of quibbling, you see Grey anywhere? Either of ’em?”

“Not right now, no. They’re probably secluded somewhere, talkin’ ’bout how -”

“‘Fascinating’?”

“-‘astonishing’, this all is. But that was my other choice. Guess another universe can’t stop Grey from being an egghead.”

“Guess not. ...We should probably go find them before those spider things get back.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

 

 

**Any, Any, You've got it all wrong, I'm afraid. I'm the evil one.; E-66 Sara**

 

In some ways your past is a blessing. People see you and either think of your vapid party girl phase or remember that you’re a cop’s daughter. Both assumptions mean you get off pretty lightly the first few times people think you’re the Canary. The next few times people get suspicious, but not too much so.

Then eventually you get caught by your own father in the middle of killing some perverted freak and, well, the jig is up by that point.

Even so, there are people who look at Laurel’s reign of supervillain terror and think she’s the evil one of the two of you. She terrorizes people, maybe injuries a few more - it’s morally reprehensible, but not  _that_  evil. Meanwhile you’re quietly racking up a body count that Jack the Ripper would be jealous of.

It’s always the quiet ones, though people never seem to get that right.

 

 

**Any, Any+/Any, S/he sings pieces from various operas in the original language.; Stein; Martin/Clarissa**

 

You like to sing pieces from various operas in their original languages. In some cases they’re the only thing you know how to say in that language. It’s interesting.

Opera’s never  _really_  been your thing - you have nothing against it, you just like musical theater better - but it  _is_  Clarissa’s. She’s loved operas since before she can remember, and has been trying to pass that love onto you. You only like it in connection to her, so who knows if that means she’s succeeded or not.

But you sing the pieces of operas you’ve attended with Clarissa or know she loves all the same. It always brings a smile to her face. Sometimes Clarissa joins in, sometimes she doesn’t. Either way, it makes her happy, so you’re happy to do it for her.

 

 

**Doctor Who/any, Nine, Ten, or Eleven & any, The Doctor travels with *insert your fandom character(s) of choice here*; Amaya**

 

It’s not quite the time travel you’re used to - less of a chance of getting where you want to go, but no chance of time sickness - but it’ll have to do. You’d decided not to stay in 1942 a little too late, and had no way to contact the Waverider. So when a skinny white man in a long coat stumbled out of a police box and offered you a trip through time and space you’d accepted.

Five planets, seven Earthly time periods, and eleven revolutions later you’re close to regretting your decision. But as roundabout as your travels have been - and as crazy as this “Doctor” is - you don’t have a choice if you want to get back to the Waverider. Plus, it even manages to be fun at times.

Leaving might actually be a bit bittersweet.


	38. Chapter Thirty-Seven

**Any, any, I/He/She/They knew I/He/She/They was/were going to die...; first line prompt; Snart**

 

You knew you were going to die. Mick shows up out of the blue during your post-fire split and says you’re the best man he ever  _knew_? That sort of thing sticks in your brain.

Though it’s not until you get recruited on a  _time traveling_  mission that your brain connects all of the dots. You debate telling Mick, but ultimately decide not to - your death is set in stone if all that sci-fi stuff you watch have paradoxes right. No need to worry him about something he can’t change. Right?

 

 

**any, any, "...Is that what I think it is?"; first line prompt; Amaya and Mick; Amaya/Mick; slight language**

 

“...Is that what I think it is?”

“Depends on what you think it is.”

“I think it looks like a box for a wedding ring. Is it -”

“...Yeah. Was plannin’ on tryin’ to make it romantic an’ shit, but so much for that. So, um... Amaya, will you marry me?”

“Of  _course_  I will.”

 

 

**Any, any deceased character, they never died; Ray; Ray/Anna and Ray/Kendra**

 

There’s some construction going on the night of the Star City Siege. You and Anna end up having to take the long way around to get home. The two of you never run in to any Mirakuru soldiers, and Anna lives.

You get married in the fall - September 8th, to be specific. It’s a fairly small and quiet affair, mostly populated by Anna’s friends and family. You don’t have many outside of work friends, and neither Sydney or Ashley could make it. You hadn’t really expected them to. And it’s an  _amazing_ wedding regardless - one of the best days of your life, honestly.

Less than a month later you and Anna learn that she’s pregnant. That’s when you start work on the ATOM suit. There needs to be someone protecting this city, and more importantly your family, that isn’t a vigilante. And being able to fly would be fun.

You finally finish the suit not long before your daughter’s born. She’s beautiful and perfect and love at first sight can’t just be romantic because you love her the second you lay eyes on her. You and Anna name her Joy. Joy Jeanette Loring-Palmer.

You nearly die several times, and Anna and Joy stay with you through it all. When Rip comes to recruit you and the Legends you almost turn him down, thinking of your family, but then wonder about what if Joy has kids? Or if you and Anna have another child who has children of their own? And so on and so forth, until you’ve got descendants dealing with Savage’s wrath? You can’t abandon them - or the world - because of your worries. So you kiss Anna and Joy goodbye and head off.

Thanks to Gideon and some future tech, you can still keep in contact with your family as you’re traveling through time. It’s slightly worrying, as being able to do so means you won’t be home right away, but mostly comforting. It also means that Anna gets to tease you about your encroaching feelings for Kendra just as much as she gets to update you on how Joy’s doing. As long as you keep Anna posted - and promise to tell Kendra the truth - she’s just as happy as you are about you falling for another person.

Being stuck in the 1950s is hell. There’s no Waverider in range, so there’s no way for you to contact Anna. No way to see her or Joy’s faces or hear their voices or know how they’re doing. Being with Kendra helps, but homesickness wears on you both. You’re about to propose - is it still polygamy if your first spouse hasn’t been born yet? - when the Waverider swoops back into your lives. You call Anna the first chance you get.

The Pilgrim picks up Joy alongside the rest of the team’s loved ones. From the moment you see her tear-stained face until you’re cradling her in your arms, your heart’s in your throat and every nerve is on fire. It’s ages after Joy’s rescued until you’re fully calm. The silver lining of it all is that Kendra and Joy finally get to meet and adore each other practically from the start. You almost have to pry Joy from Kendra’s arms when you bring your daughter home.

Mick knocks you out at the Oculus with a growled, “You gotta wife an’ kid to go back to.” Then you wake up to find Mick still alive and Snart gone. You’re glad to be alive - and that Anna won’t be a widow or Joy half an orphan - but someone dying for you still leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.

You stay with Anna and Joy for a week before she points out how restless you are. And refuses to accept your denials. So you kiss your family goodbye - again - and go off to find Mick.

Carter’s brought back to the Waverider, you break up with Kendra so she can be with Carter, and Savage is killed. You say goodbye to Kendra with tears in your eyes, mourning what could’ve been. Not too long after that you’re kissing your family goodbye yet again. This time, you’re off to put right what someone else puts wrong - the comparison to Quantum Leap makes you smile. The future looks bright.

Then the team goes on a mission to just before the Star City Siege - some time pirates decide to take advantage of the incoming chaos to steal some valuable jewels and technology. They set up fake construction equipment to deter people from interfering. The team stops the pirates, gets rid of the faux construction, and goes on their merry way.

You wake up the next morning without a wedding ring, a wife, or a daughter. The aberration’s been fixed, and time has snapped back into place. With all that you’ve lost - or, rather, never really had - it’s a hollow victory.

You’ve never felt emptier.

 

 

**any, any, "Oh no you didn't."; dialogue prompt; Rip and Sara**

 

“Oh no you didn’t.”

“We did. C’mon, you’re part of a team now! You really thought we wouldn’t?”

“I’d hoped you wouldn’t. How’d you even find out when it is?”

“Gideon.”

“So much for her taking  _my_  side...”

“Lighten up, Rip - it’s your birthday! Grab a drink, sit back, and wait for Mick to smash cake in your face.”

“Don’t you mean wait for him to cut me a piece of cake?”

“...Of... course I did. Right. Totally what I meant.”

“I feel so very comforted.”

“Now, are you coming to the party or what?”

“Ugh, fine.”

 

 

**Any, Any, "Did I miss Happy Hour?"; Stein and random bartender; do bars serve wine? I don’t know**

 

“Did I miss Happy Hour?”

“Yes, you did, sir.”

“Thank goodness. Can I have a glass of Chardonnay, please?”

“Sure. Mind if I ask why you’re glad about missing Happy Hour?”

“I’m...traveling with a group of people who seem to love bar fights more than they love to drink. I just wanted some peace and quiet while I drank for once.”

“Makes sense. Here you go, sir.”

“Thank you.”

 

 

**Any, Any, "Excuse me, but I am zombie dancing."; dialogue prompt; Nate and Jax**

 

“Excuse me, but I’m zombie dancing.”

“...Zombie dancing?”

“Yeah! For Halloween! Got to get in the mood.”

“You do realize we’re just going to fix an anachronism that just so happens to be on Halloween, not actually celebrating it... right?”

“Really? So much for zombie dancing, then.”

 

 

**Author's choice, author's choice, "I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."; dialogue prompt; Savage and Kendra**

 

“I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”

“Not if I kill you first.”

 

 

**Bonus snippet curtesy of a prompt from SophiainSpace: author's choice, author's choice, I shall but love thee better after death (Elizabeth Barrett Browning); Mick; Snart/Mick; some language; kinda off prompt?**

 

Something they don’t tell you about losing the one you love - probably for fear there’d be more murders than divorces - it’s almost easier to love them after they’ve died. It’s not better, if you truly loved them, but it’s almost easier. Almost.

See, you can’t fight when one of you is dead. Can’t yell ‘til your lungs give out and sleep in separate rooms. Or go out and nearly get yourself arrested because you’re too angry to think clearly.

You can’t drive them away - intentionally or not. Nothing happens if you get caught up in your vices because they’re not there to complain. And you can’t bitch about theirs in return. Flirting with other people can’t get a rise out of a dead man.

They can’t betray you either. Can’t choose a bunch of shitty goody-two shoes over you and leave you in the dust. Or whatever the non-Legends equivalent is. Speaking of - they can’t make stupid decisions that’ll change your lives forever. And not for the better to boot.

Feeling like there’s a gaping hole in your chest is almost easier to deal with than having disappointed them. To know that you fucked up and you’re the reason they’re walking away. Almost.

Still, you know you’d choose all of Lenny’s crap over this any day. Screw easier - your life was better with him by your side. You’d take his complaining and lecturing, obsessive eye for detail, haranguing you for drinking too many beers, and everything else if it meant having him back. Hell, you’d turn into a goody-two shoes yourself if that was all it took.

Being a widow may be easier, but the difficulty of marriage was worth it.

 


	39. Chapter Thirty-Eight

**Any, any, having to make a terrible sacrifice.; Mick; Snart/Mick; Mick dies at the Oculus AU**

 

You don’t even think twice. You kiss Len, knowing it’ll be the last time you’ll ever get to do so, and briefly let go of the Oculus to slam the butt of your heat gun against his head. The heat gun gets laid next to Len’s unconscious body.

Sara presses a kiss to your cheek before dragging Len and the heat gun away. You watch them go, then turn back to the Oculus. The metal of the lever is cool in your hand.

Everything after that comes to you in flashes - the time pigs storming in, you snarling your last words at them, their horrified faces as the Oculus hums louder and louder.

You close your eyes. There’s a bright flash of light. An intense burst of pain.

Then nothing.

 

 

**Any, any, death came softly; Kendra**

 

The first time you die after Savage’s defeat is also the first time you get to die of old age.

 

 

**Any, Any, "A fake tree?! That's it, you're never in charge of Christmas decorations ever again."; Sara and Rip**

 

“A fake tree?! That's it, you're never in charge of Christmas decorations ever again.”

“Well, forgive me for not wanting bloody pine needles spread all over my ship.”

“One, it’s  _our_  ship. And two, the holidays ain’t the holidays without the scent of pine needles  _or_  without said pine needles being everywhere. C’mon, Rip, get with the program.”

“Do I have to?”

“Not with the Christmas part specifically if you don’t want to. But the holiday program in general? Absolutely.”

“... _Fine_. You win this time.”

“Great! Now go get me an actual Christmas tree before Stein and Jax find the perfect menorah. Can’t let them win  _again_.”

 

 

**any, any, street fair; Snart; Snart/Ray**

 

Street fairs - so many things to steal, so little time or pocket space. But you’d promised Raymond you’d be on your best behavior on your first date, which means nothing fancy. You’ll steal a wallet or two and use them to buy whatever silly little trinkets Raymond wants.

Holding his hand will just make it that bit more of a challenge.

 

 

**Any, Any, his/her face lit up; Stein; Martin/Clarissa**

 

You’ve always had a knack for finding the perfect anniversary gift.

 

 

**any, any, First encounter with a still or movie camera. (any era, 1860 to digital); Amaya**

 

The first time you have your picture taken isn’t long after you’ve joined the JSA. You’d heard of cameras before, of course, but never had the opportunity to encounter one. It’s over before you know it - you’re still blinking the bright flash away as the photographer packs up his things.

You hang onto that first photograph forever.

 

 

**Any, Any, The camera is old and the film inside has been waiting years to be devolped, but the memories it holds is worth its weight in gold.; Ray; Ray/Kendra; second part takes place during 301**

 

You accidentally left your camera behind in the 1950s. It has so many memories of your time there with Kendra on it - you’re devastated when you realize you’d forgotten it. But you’re not going to make Rip turn around just for a camera, so you don’t say anything about it to anyone but Kendra.

Flash forward about one year and several defeated villains later, and you’re at a rummage sale on one of your few days off. You’re wandering aimlessly through the aisles when a camera catches your eye. It’s achingly familiar, so you pick it up. When you get the photos developed you finally realize why you were drawn to the camera - it’s yours from the 1950s. Old, worn out, and falling apart, but the pictures are still good.

 

 

**Any, any, new profile picture; Nate; based off bts pic of the actors**

 

The picture of you in front of a sleeping Mick is your profile pic for about a week - up there in the first place because you’d thought it hilarious, taken down before Mick could find out and get angry.

 

 

**Any, any, lonely; Jax; Stein died ’verse**

 

You’re probably the only person out there who _misses_ having someone else’s voice in their head.


	40. Chapter Thirty-Nine

**Any, any, s/he wishes that memories were as easy to destroy as photographs; Zari**

 

You love your brother. So much that even now, who knows how many days/weeks/months later, you can still hear him shouting out to you as you run away. Run away from your family, your fate, your own cowardice.

You love your brother, but you wish you could destroy those final memories of him. Tear them to pieces like you’ve almost done to that picture of your family. But memories are stronger than that. You can’t get rid of them that easily.

 

 

**Any, Any/Any, happy ending; Snart; Snart/Mick; sometime after Legends ends or Mick leaves - whichever comes first**

 

It’s been a long, hard road to get here, but you’ve finally arrived. You’re back in Central, you’re with Mick, and you split most of your time between doing heists with just the two of you and helping Lisa with her Rogues. Things are good.

 

 

**any, any, "You can't go back in time and change everything just because you don't like the way it turned out."; Sara and Mick; referenced Snart/Mick; deleted Doomworld arc scene/convo.**

 

“You can't go back in time and change everything just because you don't like the way it turned out.”

“‘Don’t like the way it turned out’? Blondie, my family’s  _dead_  ’cause of me. My  _husband’s_  dead ’cause I couldn’t stop ’im from taking my place. ’S a lot more extreme than not likin’ how it turned out.”

“...Fair enough. Still doesn’t justify giving the Spear over to the Legion, though.”

“I know me an’ Len’s different than you an’ your sister, but if it was your sister sayin’ all you had to get her back was use the Spear...would you really be able to resist either?”

“I don’t know. I’d like to say yes, but... But it doesn’t really matter what I  _would’ve_  done. What matters is what you  _did_  do.”

“Whatever. I regret that I ended up screwin’ you all over, but not for using the Spear in the first place. Got Lenny an’ my family back. Can’t regret that.”

 

 

**any, any, _time and time again I play the role of the fool_ ; Ray; more in spirit of the prompt than the letter; inspired by Phone Home**

 

Despite what most people think, you’re not 100% optimistic 100% of the time. You keep up appearances when you’re not, though. Partly so people don’t get worried when you act differently, partly so you don’t have to deal with fussing or accusations, and partly in hopes of a “fake it til you make it” effect. Doesn’t always work, but it works often enough to mostly justify putting in the effort.

...You do sometimes wish more people could see through your act than actually can. Sure it’s nice to not bother or be bothered, but keeping it up is  _exhausting_  on your worst days. It’d be nice to have someone you didn’t have to pretend around when that happens.

Anna could always see right through you, and Kendra picked up the trick after a while. Felicity was starting to, but never got the chance to perfect it. And the team’s starting to as well.

Maybe one day you’ll feel comfortable enough to never put on the act. Or at least not as often. Who knows?

 

 

**Any, Any, we're not supposed to know we're in a television show.; crack prompt; Nate; inspired by one of his lines from when he was high and takes place then**

 

Can your favorite tv show be the one you’re in? ’Cause right now it totally is.

It’s not supposed to be something you know, but you’ve known it ever since you took that spirit drug. You can’t decide if you want to remember this when you’re clearheaded or not.

 

 

**any, any, coffee maker is broken and there's no time to stop for any; Sara**

 

If you don’t get a cup of coffee in the next five minutes, you’re going to kill someone. Slowly. Painfully. With your bare hands. And without breaking a sweat.

Which of course is right when Nate draws everyone’s attention to the latest aberration. Maybe you can grab a cup of coffee. Or kill someone. Or both.

 

 

**any, any, firestorm; yes this was an actual prompt; Jax**

 

There’s more than one Earth where you never become part of Firestorm. One where Firestorm never existed in the first place. Another where Ronnie Raymond never died. Yet another where Grey died before you could be brought in to help him.

For all the routes your life could’ve taken, you’re happy with the one you’ve got. For all its faults, it’s the one you’re in and the only one you’ve got.

And honestly? You wouldn’t choose to get out of being Firestorm even if you could.

 

 

**any, any, "I have no friends, only allies and enemies."; Rip; post-Return of the Mack**

 

Your old team hates you for “betraying” them - when you’d just been trying to keep them safe from Mallus - and the Time Bureau hates you for going behind their backs and getting agents killed. You can’t blame them for that last one.

There are a few people left in history that might be willing to help you, but none that you’d call friends. You’ve got former friends and allies turned enemies, and allies that haven’t changed. And you’re sitting in a jail cell.

You’ve never felt more alone.

 

 

**any, any, coffee date; Kendra**

 

After working at Jitters for so long you’re never going to a coffee place for a date - or just about anything else - ever again.

 

 

**Author's choice, author's choice, Freewheeling; Amaya**

 

One of your favorite movies that you’ve seen since joining the Legends is Aladdin. You keep your fingers crossed that you’ll find a magic carpet somewhere along the way.

 

 

**Any, Any, It's really hard to type on a keyboard in the dark.; Stein**

 

It's really hard to type on a keyboard in the dark. When you complain about that, Clarissa retorts with how you should maybe stop working on your papers at night. You shoot back with how you don’t have enough time during the daylight.

Those arguments can go on for hours.


	41. Chapter Forty

**Any, Any, That awkward moment when your past-self sees you kissing your nemesis; Ray; ignoring the “nemesis” part; Ray/Mick with referenced Ray/Anna; pre-Mirakuru attack! Ray, then season 2+ of Legends! Ray**

 

“Um, so you’re me.”

“Yep.”

“And I’m you.”

“Yeah.”

“But you’re from the future?”

“You - I - We? got it.”

“And you kissed someone who not only  _isn’t_  Anna but a  _criminal_?”

“Mick’s not that bad once you get to know ’im.”

“...”

“...Right. Probably not the point. Well. Um. First, have you had the conversation with Anna where we’re okay with each other being attracted to someone else as long as we’re honest about it yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Well, you will, because I have. Um. Pronouns are extra confusing with time travel. Anyway. Second, you’re gonna be...working with Mick in fairly close quarters for a while and find out he’s morally more a shade of gray instead of black. Sure, he’s a criminal who’s hurt people, but he’ll have your back in more ways than one and has a heart underneath it all.”

“...Okay. And Anna’s fine with the whole him being a criminal thing?”

“Hasn’t said a negative word about it.”

“That’s good then. Um, good luck with whatever you’re doing.”

“Thanks! And...tell Anna you love her for me, okay?”

“...Sure? Can’t you do it yourself?”

“Not as often as I’d like with the time travel and all. Besides, what’s telling her one extra time gonna hurt?”

“True. Goodbye, um, me!”

“Bye!”

 

 

**Doctor Who/Author's choice, Any!Doctor and author's choice, "Don't look back, don't ever look back." from Katy Perry's _Teenage Dream_ ; Zari; the Doctor in question is Thirteen cos why not**

 

Instead of a ragtag group of misfits saving you from a watery grave, it’s a white woman with a police box shaped timeship and a weird fashion sense saving you from execution. You’d been able to recover your brother’s necklace - and release a bunch of metas along the way - but you’d been caught by ARGUS in the process. Your execution was scheduled for the next morning.

Then, right as the agents are leveling rifles straight at you, the Doctor swans in. She’s babbling a mile a minute about roses and bananas of all things as she weaves her way through the agents. It’s not until she grabs your hand and whispers for you to run that you realize that she’d been disabling their guns while acting like a ditz. All the agents can do as you and the Doctor escape is yell angrily at your backs.

You run out of the prison, out of town, and into a blue box. Before you can question what good that’ll do, the tiny box expands into a giant gleaming hub straight out of sci-fi heaven. The Doctor finally gets around to introducing herself and vice versa.

When you comment on how the outside’s smaller than the inside, the Doctor blinks owlishly and says she’s never heard that one before. Apparently everyone over the last few thousand years says it’s bigger on the inside instead.

Then she shakes off the surprise and asks you where you’d like to go - nearly all of time and space is at your disposal. Only nearly, because you can’t change your own past. Can’t bring your family back.

...It takes you a while to calm down after hearing that.

When you’re ready, you ask the Doctor to take you somewhere as different from your home as possible. If you can’t change anything, you don’t want that fact to be staring you in the face. Better to never look back than to deal with your past.

(That decision comes back to bite you in the ass one day. But that’s another story.)

 

 

**author's choice, author's choice, the trouble with blood loss; Nate; Nate/Amaya with hints at Ray/Nora based on spoilers (written mid-season 3); AU season 3 where he still has hemophilia; I apologize in advance; implied major character death**

 

The trouble with blood loss is that it’s by far the easiest way you could die. Most people have fairly low risks for it compared to other stuff, but then most people don’t have hemophilia. What is painful for them at worst and annoying at best is life-threatening at best for you and deadly at worst.

This is one of the “at worst” days.

You wrote off the injury at first, as stopping both Darhks was far more important. Then Sara killed Damien - for good this time - while Ray captured Nora, face twisted in pain the entire time, and Amaya knocks out Kuasa with a grimace. With the battle over, the adrenaline fades and the effects of blood loss kick in.

You collapse to the ground, ears ringing and vision fading to black. Amaya screams your name before running over to you. She pulls you onto her lap, and the last thing you see is her tear-stained face. You try to wipe away the tears but your arms won’t obey you anymore.

Then everything goes black.

 

 

**Any, Any, minor injury (like stubbing a toe or a papercut); Mick; implied Snart/Mick**

 

Lisa’s always been just like her brother - playing up the drama of little things just to get some attention. The less drama there was, the more serious the injury. “Inverse law of Snart Dramatics”, you’ve always called it.

You treated every injury of hers with the same level of care and attention, though. God knows Lisa never got enough of either, much as Lenny tried to make up for their missing moms and deadbeat dad. He did the best he could and blamed himself for not doing more, doing better. Soon as you started seeing Lisa as your younger sister too, you did the same thing.

So you blow kisses to stubbed toes and apply Band-Aids to paper cuts with the same seriousness and love as the bruises and breaks she gets from Lewis. Lisa’s the only sibling you got left; you need to treat her better than the ones you’ve lost.

 

 

**Any, any, realizing they're the bad guy; Snart**

 

Well heroes don’t tend to kill people in cold blood.

 

 

**Author's choice, author's choice, the villian that took down Megaupload; Stein**

 

 _This_  is why you shouldn’t be put in charge of computers. Jax hasn’t stopped glaring at you since he found out what happened.

 

 

**Author's choice, any/any, "Love in the middle of a firefight." ~Search and Destroy by Skunk Anansie; Sara; Sara/Nyssa**

 

The first time you kiss Nyssa is in the middle of a fight against some enemy or another of Ra’s. It’s short and sweet given the circumstances, but you’ll still remember it fondly for years to come.

 

 

**Any, Any, Mars attacks; Rip**

 

This is the weirdest potential future you’ve ever experienced.

 

 

**Any, Any/Any, she/he was sure fire raining down was a bad sign; Amaya; implied Amaya/Mick/Snart**

 

You’re sure fire raining down’s a bad sign, but Mick disagrees and Len’s just leery. Len gets worse than leery though when Mick tries going out into the fiery rain. It takes the both of you to pull him back. Mick rolls his eyes and grumbles, but doesn’t put up much of a fight.

So the three of you just sit there and wait for the rain to stop.

 

 

**any, any, using modern-day items to impress/frighten people in the past; Jax**

 

Who knew duct tape could be so frightening?

 

 

**Any, any, “Has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like ________?”; Kendra; historical OC re: a past incarnation of Kendra’s and Kendra**

 

“Has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like Mayor Sampson?”

“My friends and I are new to town, so no, but I wouldn’t be surprised. I get asked that more times than I’d bet you’d believe. Just one of those faces, y’know?”

“...Yeah. The resemblance really is uncanny, though.”


End file.
